You Are My Friend, Now and Forevermore
by Time Lady Evangeline
Summary: Whether or not they always admit it, Merlin and Arthur are best friends. Circumstances drive them both from their home, Camelot, and the boys realize they are no longer divided by the boundaries of status. For the first time in their lives, they can truly be friends.
1. I Will Not Lose Today

"Merlin! You lazy, incompetent excuse for a servant!" Arthur burst into Merlin's bedroom, roughly shaking his shoulder to wake him. He immediately sat

up, apologizing.

"I'm sorry! I'll be out right away!" He stood quickly, but swayed. As his vision blurred, he vaguely heard Arthur's voice.

"Merlin?" He fell forwards, and Arthur caught him before his head made contact with the ground, feeling the warmth of his skin through his clothing. "For

goodness sake… Gaius!"

The old man came into the room, assessing the situation as Arthur laid him back down onto his bed. "Merlin, can you hear me?" Gaius asked. He got a low

groan in response. "I need to know your symptoms."

" m throat hurts…" He muttered. Gaius gently took Merlin's jaw in his hands and opened his mouth, looking into it. Red blisters coated the inside of his

throat. Gaius took a step away.

"Step back, Arthur. It's contagious." The prince took a step away, eyeing Merlin nervously as he fell asleep.

"What does he have?"

"Well, it's odd, but it appears he has scarlet fever. It can be very dangerous, potentially fatal. I'm just surprised, it hasn't been around in Camelot for a long

time, I had been led to believe the illness died off." Gaius took a wet cloth and placed it against Merlin's forehead.

"Died off? He's not gonna die, is he?" Arthur's voice had an edge.

"I don't know. The virus could have changed. If it hasn't, then I'm afraid his death could be upon us." Gaius said sadly.

"Can't you make a cure?"

"I need herbs that I do not have. But, I can't leave him alone-"

"I'll stay with him."

"But, Sire."

"I'll do it, just make sure you get what you need. Go now, while the day is still new."

"Thank you." He bowed his head and grabbed his bag, leaving immediately. Arthur tentatively took the cloth off Merlin's head and dipped it back into the

water before replacing it. It was almost two hours before Merlin woke again.

"You shouldn't be here Arthur. You'll get sick, you have to go." His voice was extremely hoarse, and it was agony for him to speak.

"I'm staying here."

"You can't, you'll catch it."

"It's a little late for me to leave then, if that's what you're worried about."

"I heard what Gaius said, if this is bad, then you can't get it, you're the prince, Camelot needs you-"

"I said it's too late! I've been here two hours already!"

"Arthur… why? Why would you stay, after what Gaius told you?"

"I made the choice to stay with you Merlin, because you are important to me. One might go as far to say that you are… that you are my friend." Merlin stared

at him for several moments as the prince kept his gaze away from making eye contact.

"But, you never act like it… I mean, I thought I was just another servant to you."

"Of course not, but I have to act the way that is expected of me. I am the prince, and you are the servant, and that is how it must be!" Merlin fell silent,

obviously hurt by the remark. Arthur sighed. "I didn't-I didn't mean that."

The outer door creaked open as Gaius arrived. "You should go, your highness." Merlin said with an air of bitterness. On the way out, Arthur told Gaius that he

would be out training the knights, and to send for him if there was any change.

"Alright men, pair up! Leon, you're with me." They began to fight with their swords. Leon was a man of great skill, but he had never been capable of

matching Arthur. However, the prince's attacks grew weaker and weaker. Finally, he waved off Leon and stopped to get breath, his hands on his knees.

"You don't look well, Sire." Leon stated.

"I'm fine, keep going!" Arthur snapped, and Leon continued to fight. Arthur's blows became weaker and weaker, but he didn't stop. He turned his head to see

someone approaching.

"Arthur!" Merlin's voice cracked as he called him.

"Merlin?! What are you doing?! You should be in bed resting!"

"So should you!"

"I'm fine, Merlin! You're the one who's sick!" Merlin fell forwards, palms digging into the soil. "Stay back, I'll help him." Arthur instructed the knights as he

jogged beside Merlin and slung his arm over his shoulders.

"Please Arthur, I'm fine. You should rest."

"You're the one who needs to be in bed."

"I want you to rest, Arthur. You're already becoming ill, I can see it."

"Don't be ridiculous, Merlin."

"I'm really sorry for this."

"What?" Merlin looked away as his eyes flashed golden, and Arthur fell asleep. He said a soft incantation as he pulled him farther towards Gaius's. The

knights saw what was happening and ran over. Leon was the first to speak as they tumbled into Gaius's chambers.

"What happened?!"

"He's fine now." Merlin said weakly, using his final reserve of strength to push open Gaius's door and pull Arthur halfway inside before tumbling inside

himself.

"I'll take care of them, but this is a quarantine! Everyone else out!" Gaius said shooing them with his hands. They all backed off, turning and going back to

their practice field. "What did you do, Merlin?" He asked as he helped Merlin up to his bedroom, feeling that the extent of his fever had worsened.

"I took it from him… I took his illness."

"How on earth did you manage that?!"

"I don't know, I just kinda… knew. I knew how to do it and I knew I could. So, I did."

"Merlin, there's no way you could possibly survive this. I don't know if I can save you this time." Gaius's voice held fear, fear of losing the one he knew as a

son, the one he had agreed to care for.

"I know, Gaius. I know. It's alright." Merlin coughed into his fist, his throat burning in pain. Arthur began to wake up.

"I'm so sorry. I promise, I'll do everything I can."

"What's going on?" Arthur propped himself up on his elbow, then stood as Gaius came out.

"My apologies, Sire. You had a heatstroke and fainted. When I got you here, I saw that Merlin's condition had escalated to a dangerous level. I was forced to

leave you there, please forgive me."

"Of course, no harm done. How is he?"

"Not well, I fear. His chances seem very…" He cut off for a short time as the lump in his throat grew bigger, "very slim." Gaius's voice cracked.

"There must be something, Gaius, anything. He cannot die." Gaius hesitated a moment before looking up at him with a new spark of hope in his eyes.

"Perhaps there is something. But it may involve you coming in contact with magic, Sire."

"Will it save him?"

"I believe so."

"Then tell me." Gaius pulled a book from his shelf and pushed it open.

"The moon flower. They say it can cure anything if prepared correctly, but it is guarded by a fierce beast of magic."

"Where is this flower found?"

"Legend has it that the moon flower grows where the moonbeams are strongest. But, I must tell you, the moon flower itself is of the old religion. Your father

would-"

"He doesn't have to know. I will take a few knights with me and we will retrieve this flower. How much longer do you think he has?"

"I was afraid to tell you this, but I believe his illness has been brought on and worsened by magic. He is deteriorating much too quickly. I fear he may not

last the night."

"That's not much time, Gaius. The sun is already preparing to set!"

"I know, Sire." The prince exhaled and nodded at Gaius.

"We will set out immediately, then. He will not die, Gaius." The old man merely nodded, going back to look after his ward.

Arthur ran to where his knights were still in training. He pulled aside Sir Leon and a couple other men. "Are you well now, Sire?" Leon asked him.

"Quite so. I have come to ask a favor of the three of you: Leon, Galahad, Griffet."

"Of course, Sire. Anything you need." Galahad said, bowing his head. Leon and Griffet followed suit.

"What I'm asking could very well bring you punishment at the hand of my father. You have all been loyal friends to me, and I understand if what I'm asking

is too much."

"What is your request?" Leon asked tentatively.

"You all know my manservant, Merlin. He has fallen ill as of today. The court physician Gaius has told me of a cure, something called a moon flower. The

qualities it possesses are that of magic, therefore our mission is against the law. However, without the flower, Merlin will be dead by sunrise. I ask that you will help

me retrieve it."

The men stared at each other for several moments, and Leon began to nod. "I will help you, as a friend." Arthur nodded, smiling softly.

"And I." Galahad said.

"Me too." Griffet decided.

"Thank you all. You are doing me a great favor, and when I am king this will not be forgotten. We must leave at once. Gather any supplies you need, and

prepare your horses. We leave in an hour."

"Yes, Sire." They hurried off the field to do what was needed. Arthur went to the royal stables and brought his horse behind the palace, waiting for his

knights.

They arrived in a timely manner, and rode into the forest. "I brought the three of you with me because you have the most knowledge of these woods. Where

would you believe that the moonlight hits the ground most?" The three of them pondered this for a moment before Galahad answered.

"That would be in the Valley of Bauland. It rests directly beneath the moon around midnight, and has no trees to obstruct the light."

"Are you certain?" Arthur asked, and the other knights nodded in agreement. "Lead the way, Galahad, quickly." The horses galloped onwards for at least two

hours before Galahad held up his hand, and they slowed. Beyond the trees, the pale light of the moon shone brightly down upon the grass. It was beautiful, beyond

beautiful. In the center of the valley stood the most gorgeous plant Arthur had ever laid his eyes upon. It was nearly the height of Arthur, many flowers branching off

of the sky blue main stems. The flower heads themselves resembled very soft blue lilies, with specks of gold donning their interior. The stems curved up like swans,

and the peace that the beauty brought was overwhelming.

"Stay back, men. I'll get it." Arthur jumped off his horse and slowly made his way closer. A rustling noise sent chills up his spine and he reached for his

sword. "What was that?!" He asked his men. They brought their horses closer. "No, no, it's alright." He came up to thee plant and reached a hand out towards one of

the flowers. Just as the tips of his fingers brushed the delicate petals, the rustling noise came back, louder than before.

Arthur stood back, drawing his sword from its sheath. Before he could react, a black figure sprung out and jumped on him, throwing him to the ground with

enough force to knock the air out of him. It clawed at him and growled, and Arthur believed himself to be a dead man.

Leon threw himself at the beast, swinging his sword and knocking it off of Arthur. Galahad and Griffet were battling it within a moment. Arthur pulled himself

up and joined them.

It moved with unmatched speed, practically a dark blur to them. Arthur picked up his sword in his right hand and held himself ready. Leon held up his

fingers, counting down from three. When his hand became a fist, they all attacked at once, forcing the monster to remain still for a millisecond. In that moment,

Arthur thrust his sword toward it, hitting in squarely in the shoulder. A shrill hiss came from the figure, and it looked sharply towards Arthur. To his complete

surprise, it had no face. It was just a dark shadow, like the silhouette of a man in a cloak. Within another second, it was gone.

Arthur fell to his knees, gripping his chest. "Sire!" Leon was beside him now.

"Get the flower!" He yelled. Galahad carefully pulled off one of the smaller stems off of the main one. The flower sparkled and left the men in awe.

"Are you injured, Sire?" Sir Griffet asked, putting a hand on Arthur's left shoulder. The prince pulled his hands away, revealing a deep gash from the tip of his

right collar bone to the bottom of his chest bone. He chuckled.

"Looks like it got me." He held his hand to his wound and stood. "We have to get the flower back to Merlin. There's not much time!"

Back in Camelot, Gaius tended to Merlin, speaking softly to him. "Hang in there."

"Gaius." He croaked, looking up at the man he knew as a father. Gaius bit his lip and stroked the young man's hair.

"It's alright, Merlin. You don't have to speak."

"Gaius." He said again.

"I'm listening." He moved closer to him, sitting on the edge of his bed and dabbing at his forehead.

"Thank you for everything, Gaius." Their eyes both filled with tears as Gaius squeezed his hand tightly.

"You don't have to say goodbye. You can't-"

"There isn't much time, you know that. I know it… I can feel the life leaving me, Gaius." Gaius sobbed, holding tight to Merlin in his arms.

"Merlin…" He cried.

"I'm not scared. It's alright, I promise. I want you to be happy, Gaius."

"I could never be happy without you."

"Don't let me kill you. I care about you more than anything, but I can't- I can't hang on much longer."

"I know…"He swallowed the lump in his throat. "But they're coming, Merlin."

"Who?"

"Arthur went to get a cure."

"You said there was no cure." Merlin held a questioning gaze towards him.

"No cure of physical properties." Merlin's breathing quickened and his eyes widened.

"Gaius… magic? Does he know?! Why would you-"

"Arthur wanted to do it. He knew."

"You can't use magic, Gaius. Uther-"

"You mean more to me than he does! If disobeying the king means saving your life then I would do so in a heartbeat."

"There's not enough time… I can't do it, I'm sorry." Gaius held the young man close.

"Don't go yet, Merlin. Please…" They stayed in silence for a long while, Gaius clinging to the small amount of life left in his ward's body.

Arthur and his knights galloped their horses as fast as they could go. The prince looked out over the horizon, seeing how the darkness of the night was being

softly faded by the approaching sun. "FOR MERLIN!" He yelled, forcing his horse to go even faster.

"For Merlin!" The three knights shouted in unison before following suit. Arthur had the flower in his brown leather bag, being extremely careful not to crush

it. After what seemed like a lifetime, they rode into the city, the horse's hoof beats echoing as they hit the cobblestone.


	2. Bittersweet Victories

Arthur jumped off his horse and practically broke down Gaius's door in his haste. The old man was sitting with

Merlin, holding on to him with everything he had in him. Merlin was giving up.

"Gaius!" As the physician stood, Arthur pushed the brown bag at him.

"Did you get it?" Arthur nodded determinedly. Gaius took the flower out of the bag and admired it for a moment

before setting it down and taking a stone bowl from his cupboards. "Sire, I hate to ask this of you, but could you and

your men take a step outside for a moment?" Without a word, the four of them left, knowing full well what was about to

happen.

"We've got it, Merlin. You're gonna be okay." Gaius took the flower and put it in the bowl. He held up his hand

towards it. "Byrne." He said. Nothing happened. "Byrne. Byrne!" He became increasingly desperate, struggling to make

the magic work. Finally, Merlin shifted his own arm so that his palm was facing the bowl.

"Byrne." He whispered hoarsely. The flower went up in flames, a soft blue cloud gently rising up. Gaius pulled it

closer to Merlin's head, and he breathed in the magic of the flower. He coughed before his chest was able to rise fully.

He let out a laugh and smiled wide, closing his eyes and allowing himself to relax. Gaius was overjoyed, allowing the

flower a few minutes to burn out completely by his bedside before striding to the door and letting Arthur in. Leon,

Galahad, and Griffet had left, going to cover up any evidence of their last night's mission.

Arthur hurried to Merlin's side, sighing in relief when he saw his relaxed smile. "Thank God…" He muttered

before turning to Gaius. "No one has to know about this."

"Indeed. I am very grateful, Sire."

"Well, I couldn't very well let him die if there was something I could do."

"Thank you." Merlin croaked out, smiling at his friend. Arthur put a hand on the bedside table as he swayed.

Merlin looked up, his face twisting into concern.

"You're injured…" Arthur looked down at his chest, seeing it for the first time in the light. Blood seeped steadily

from the gash, his shirt ripped wide open.

"I'm alright, it's not too bad." Gaius forced him to turn around, making him sit down once he got sight of the

wound.

"Did the beast do this to you?" Gaius asked as he began to clean it. Arthur nodded. "Did you get to see it?"

"It was just… black. Like a shadow, it had no face, no detail. It was faster than anything I've ever faced. It had

something like claws, that's how it did this. I was able to hit it in the shoulder with my sword."

"Incredible…" Gaius began to bandage the wound.

"You didn't tell me about a beast, Gaius." Merlin interrupted.

"I knew Arthur could handle it."

"He could've died!" Merlin sat up, obviously upset.

"I'm right here, you know! It was my choice, and I am more than capable of handling myself. Neither of us are

dead, so I succeeded. Isn't that enough for you?!" Arthur said.

At that moment, Uther burst into the room. "What is going on here?!" He asked in anger.

"Father!" Arthur stood and bowed his head. Gaius steadied him before he bowed. Merlin sat up higher in his bed

to do the same.

"Arthur?! Someone tell me how this happened, immediately!" He went to his son, putting a hand on his

shoulder.

"My manservant, Merlin, had become ill. I went to get the herbs needed for a cure and was injured in the

process. I am fine."

"This happened while collecting herbs?"

"Yes, I-I fell."

"You lie to me, boy! What happened?!"

"I apologize, Father. The truth is, the cure was harder to obtain then expected. We were attacked."

"By what?"

"Some form of animal; it was dark, we couldn't see."

"All this for some servant…" He spat the last word as he looked over at Merlin, who kept his eyes fixed on the

floor.

"I couldn't just let him die!"

"His life is expendable, yours is not."

"How can you say that?! He has just as much right to live as anyone else!"

"I did not say that he doesn't, but when it comes down to your life or his, there is not a choice!"

"For God's sake, he's sitting right there! How can you speak with such superiority when he was dying?!"

"His life doesn't matter as much as yours! You cannot risk your life over such a trivial matter as a servant!"

"You don't understand! This was something I needed to do! What kind of man would let someone die when he

had the power to stop it?! Certainly no man that I would be proud to call my father…"

"This is the last time you disobey me! Guards, seize the boy!" They came and took Merlin by his upper arms,

and he tried to struggle against their grip.

"What are you doing?! Let him go!" Arthur's eyes widened as he tried to force the guards off of Merlin.

"Take him to the cells. Set his execution for tomorrow at noon."

"Wha- FATHER!" Arthur's breathing quickened and his heart rate sped up. "You can't do this!"

"You have to learn your lesson, Arthur! Perhaps this boy's death will set you straight. You'll get another

servant, life will go on."

"YOU'LL REGRET THIS! You will regret being such a stubborn, pigheaded man! How can someone who claims

to be a great king so openly deny the common right of his people: TO LIVE!"

"Hold him back!" Uther ordered. Two more guards grabbed the prince, and he viciously struggled against them,

so much so that a third man had to come and help restrain him.

"MERLIN!" He shouted. The manservant smiled at him, albeit sadly.

"It's alright, Arthur. It's gonna be alright." Merlin was still very weak and unable to stand, so the guards pulled

him along towards the door.

"LET HIM GO! HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

"You brought this upon yourself, Arthur!" He nodded at guards holding Merlin, and they drug him out. Gaius

protested.

"Please, Your Highness! He's only a boy!"

"My deepest apologies, Gaius. But it must be done. I know now that my son does not care if I punish him. This

is the only way to teach him not to disobey me." Arthur looked at his father in disgust.

"I swear to you Father, if he dies I will never forgive you."

"He is only a servant! Let him meet the fate he should have, there will be no difference in the matter."

"There is a difference, a huge difference! For this time, he is to die at your hand! You are a MURDERER!"

"He is guilty of endangering your life."

"I DID IT! HE DID NOTHING!"

"I really wish it didn't have to be this way, but one day you will be king and you must not be compromised by

these… emotions. That boy is nothing but a servant." Arthur took a deep breath.

"He's more than that, he's my FRIEND!" The room fell quiet and Arthur's last word seemed to echo softly about

them. Uther came close to his son, staring at him with a rage that built up within him, trying to find the words to

express it. He began to speak in a low, threatening voice.

"A man of our stature cannot be held down by such attachments. You must learn to understand your place, and

his. This only proves that I am making the right decision." He stepped back and looked at the guards. "Take him to his

room, lock him in."

"FATHER!" Arthur struggled against the men who held him, but finally let them take him. "Remember this day,

Father."

Merlin was thrown into the cells, and he shivered against the cold, damp air. He settled with curling into a

corner, pulling his knees to his chest. "I'm going to die… and they don't even know! This… this wasn't my destiny. Did I

mess it up?" He talked to the air, frustrated.

Arthur was taken to his bedroom, and he heard them lock the door. Angry, he paced back and forth as the

hours ticked by. Finally, he pushed back his curtain slightly, looking out over the town square. Gallows were being built.

The prince let out a yell in anger, blaming himself for his friend's imminent death.

Neither of them got any sleep that night. Arthur walked around the edges of his room, cursing his father under

his breath. He began to go against everything his father ever stood for, the war against magic and the like. Merlin stay

still, reminding himself of every good moment he'd ever had. He knew he could escape, but would it be worth it? There

was nothing for him in the world outside of Camelot. And if he revealed his magic, Arthur would never forgive him for all

the lies, especially if he couldn't explain. He couldn't live with himself knowing Arthur hated him. Would his friend hunt

him down and kill him?

The sun began to rise. In his chambers, Arthur was overcome by exhaustion. He threw himself into his chair and

put his head in his hands. "What have I done?" He asked himself, before standing once more and looking out the window

at the finished gallows.

Merlin was looking at them too, from the tiny window in his cell. He bit his lip and took a deep breath, and Gaius

ran in. He put his hands against the bars. "Merlin." He stood on shaky legs and walked to him, placing his own pale

hands over his.

"It's alright, Gaius." He old man bowed his head.

"This is my fault. I was supposed to protect you…"

"Don't you dare think that. But Gaius, I have one final request."

"Anything."

"If I am to die, I want it to be on my own terms."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Bring me a potion, Gaius. Something that will just let me go in peace. I don't care if it hurts, but I do not want

to die by Uther's hand. Please, Gaius." The old man nodded.

"I will go and fetch it." He left without another word.

Arthur had been pacing yet again, when he heard a wail from down the hall, which he unmistakably knew to be

Gwen. He ran to his door, banging on it. "GWENIVERE! What is it?! What's wrong?! Gwen!?" He heard soft footsteps

come towards the door unevenly as she sobbed. She put her hands up against his door to keep from falling over. Gwen

drew in a high-pitched breath. "What is it, Gwenivere?" Arthur asked, on the verge of panic himself. She let out another

sob before answering.

"He's dead!" She cried out. "They said… Th-they said they found him dead in his cell." Her body wracked with

sobs. Arthur took a step away from the door in shock. "_MEEEERLIN!" _Gwen cried out, practically screaming. Though he

knew Merlin would die, he'd given himself a few hours to prepare. Without another moments thought, he grabbed a

parchment and quill and began to quickly write.

_Father,_

_ By now you have found me. I warned you that you would regret killing my friend. Yes, that's right. He's my _

_FRIEND. And if he is to die, I'll be happy to go with him, especially if it means my revenge towards you. I feel nothing _

_but bitterness in my heart towards you. You wanted to teach me a lesson, well, you did. You taught me that in order to _

_be king, one has to have a cold heart. I will never be like you, Father. I hope saving your pride was worth it. Goodbye._

_-Arthur Pendragon_

His hands trembled as he took off his bet, tying it to the bar connecting the bed posts. "I'm so sorry, Merlin. SO

sorry." He mumbled over and over. He put the loop around his neck. "See you soon, Merlin."

**This is not the end, guys! Please review, I love input from my readers!**


	3. When We Part

He stepped off the edge, and his airways were blocked. His eyes stung with hot tears as the seconds passed. As black began to creep in from the edges of his vision, there was a light tap at the door.

"Arthur?" The voice was Gaius's. However, it didn't sound the way the prince expected it to, broken and full of grief. Instead, it was questioning and determined. "Arthur?" Gaius waited outside the door. When he didn't get an answer, he pulled the key out of his inner pocket. Arthur heard the lock turning, and tried to give up. He didn't want to see the look on Gaius's face when he saw him. Most of all, he didn't want to be saved.

All of his efforts were in vain. Gaius pushed the door open slowly, eyes widening in shock as he ran to the prince, taking the letter opener on the table and cutting the belt. He softened his fall, quickly pulling the leather away from his neck. He began pressing down on his chest, and soon Arthur drew in a gasp. "No!" He coughed, trying to push Gaius away. "Let me die! I have to die, please."

"Arthur, I can't do that."

"Merlin is dead, you must hate me. It should be easy."

"But that's why I came, Sire. I need your help. Merlin's not dead." He smiled wide.

"What do you mean, Gaius?" Arthur was worried that perhaps the old man's grief had driven him mad.

"It's a plan. But I need you. Merlin wanted me to give him a potion to kill him. I gave him the potion that I gave you, when your father had fallen in love with the troll. We don't have a lot of time, Arthur, or we will lose him. Now, will you help me get the antidote to him or not?!"

"Of course. Tell me what to do."

"We just need to help him get away, into the woods. He could go back to Ealdor, to his mother. Right now, he's being wheeled to the near edge of the forest by a horse cart. If you meet it right where they plan to burn his body, then you should be able to take on the guard who is there. Act like you are overcome with grief. You may not even have to, many people were against your father's judgment, including some knights. Give him the antidote and tell him to run."

"Thank you for this." Gaius took Arthur's hand and pressed the small bottle into it.

"Good luck." Arthur stood and sprinted out the door, down the steps and past the gallows in the town square. He went through the city gates and froze when he heard the horse's trot against the grass. The prince peered around the corner to see that the driver was Sir Leon, hanging his head low.

"Leon!" Arthur whispered. The man turned his head, surprised to see him.

"My lord! I'm so sorry, there was nothing-" Arthur waved his hands in front of him, shaking his head.

"He's still alive, Leon!"

"Sire? He's dead, his heart's stopped, he doesn't breathe."

"I know, I know, but this-" he showed Leon the bottle with the milky-white liquid, "this can save him." Leon jumped out of the cart and uncovered Merlin's face, tinged with blue. The sight almost made Arthur sick, knowing he was the one responsible for it. He quickly uncapped the antidote and held it to his cold lips, pouring it down his throat. The moment hung in the air, as Arthur and Leon waited for some sign of life from the boy.

After what seemed like ages, Merlin drew in a breath. Arthur sighed and put his hand on the edge of the cart. Leon stared at them both in astonishment. "Come on, Merlin. We're getting out of here."

"Arthur? I don't-I don't understand."

"Gaius is the one to thank, he came up with this marvelous plan. Now, there isn't a lot of time to stay and chat. We've got to get going."

"We?" Leon asked.

"Yes. I'm going with him. Camelot is no longer my home, not while my father is king. Feel free to tell him about this, by the way. I want him to know that we've outsmarted him. Don't mention Gaius, though." Arthur pulled Merlin up and they began to run, Merlin leaning on Arthur for much of the time.

"And he's just… gone?" Uther's voice revealed his surprise. Leon had done what Arthur asked, and had told the king of they're departure.

"Yes, Sire. Arthur overwhelmed me, and took the boy."

"I thought he was dead!"

"It appeared to be a trick, my lord."

"This is an outrage! I will not be disobeyed in this manner, certainly not by him! Find them! Take as many men as you need!" The warning bells were rung.

"Arthur, you have to go back." Merlin told him.

"That's not going to happen."

"You are Uther's heir! You are to rule Camelot one day! You can't give that up."

"It appears I already have. Leon would have told my father the truth by now. We're fugitives now, you and I." Merlin was silent for some time, and they stopped to give Merlin a rest.

"Where are we going to go?" Merlin asked.

"Ealdor. It will be safe, it's not in Camelot and we know them."

"You? In Ealdor? That'll be-" Merlin was cut off by Arthur's hand over his mouth. He held a finger to his own lips and they listened. They heard the soft rustling of leaves and snapping of twigs as someone approached. Arthur reached for his sword as the person walked past the tree they were hiding behind, looking directly at them.

"Gaius!" Merlin said, standing quickly and hugging him tightly. "I was afraid I wouldn't get to say goodbye."

"I couldn't live without seeing you again, Merlin. I brought you some food. Once the warning bells sounded, I knew that the prince must have gone too. You surprise me, Arthur. You're willing to give up your future throne?"

"I will not become king as that man's son. He is wicked and evil, and only does what benefits himself. I am willing to give that up, seeing how he has so openly wronged us all by attempting to take Merlin's life." Gaius nodded, smiling.

"I must wish you two the very best of luck, then."

"Come with us!" Merlin pleaded.

"I am old, Merlin. I would slow the two of you down, surely."

"I would be grateful if you would come, Gaius." Arthur interrupted.

"Then I shall, but only if you are sure-"

"I'm sure."

"Thank you, Sire." Arthur nodded, pulling Merlin up. They began to walk away, as quickly as Merlin could go. However, it wasn't fast enough. They heard horses approach and stopped dead in their tracks. The quick movement threw Merlin to his knees.

"Who's there?!" A knight called out. It was the patrol, out looking for the fugitives. The three of them stared at each other, wide-eyed with fear. Gaius took a deep breath, tossing the provisions bag at Arthur and standing.

"Gaius, no…" Merlin whispered, reaching out for him, pleading. Arthur had to pull him back before he ended up going after the old man.

Gaius held up his hands, showing that he wasn't a threat. "It's just me. I was collecting herbs for a draught." A knight walked up to him.

"You must have heard the bells, there's fugitives on the loose. It's not safe." Gaius glared at him.

"You and I both know that they will bring no harm to me. I have nothing to fear from those two."

"Nonetheless, they are enemies of Camelot now." Back where they were hiding, Arthur and Merlin looked at each other, and Arthur rested a hand on his shoulder. "Allow us to escort you back, Gaius."

"I need to collect the herbs, please. It's for me, they-they're for an anti-depressant. I'm begging you, I need it." They pitied Gaius, yet they were still under the king's orders.

"We cannot allow you to stay, we know how close you were to the boy Merlin."

"Wait." Sir Leon held up and hand. "I'll stay and help him, and bring him back to Camelot once the job is finished. We cannot deny this free man of Camelot the right to simply create for himself a medicine. Agreed?" There was a mutual agreement, and the rest of them rode off, and Leon jumped off his horse.

"Sir Leon, I-" Leon grabbed his upper arm, leaning close to whisper in his ear.

"Go say goodbye." He let go and backed away slowly, and Gaius face shifted into understanding. He hurried back to the boys, and Merlin stood, throwing his arms around his neck and burying his face in his shoulder.

"I'll send letters!"

"No, you mustn't. They will be intercepted." Merlin shook his head.

"I'll miss you."

"And I you, my boy. You be careful, both of you." He let go of Merlin, looking at them and smiling. "Thank you, for everything Arthur. For saving him. I am forever in your debt."

"Consider it even, Gaius. You've saved my life many times. And this is my choice."

"You should both be off."

"Will I ever see you again, Gaius?" Merlin asked, eyes welling with tears.

"Only time will tell." He gave Merlin one last hug and nodded at Arthur. "Goodbye, boys." He walked back to Leon, who escorted him back within the city walls. Once they were a good distance away, Arthur pulled Merlin to his feet and they continued on towards Ealdor.

**Please review, let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is welcome!**


	4. I Guess We're Equals

Merlin was very weak, so the journey was much slower than Arthur would have liked. Night fell, and Merlin could go on no longer. Arthur would have continued on through the dark, but it was obvious that wasn't possible. They found a very small clearing, just big enough to start a fire without setting the entire forest ablaze.

Merlin rested against the trunk of a large tree, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. He coughed into his fist, shivering against the harsh cold of the night. He had nothing on but his blue shirt and pants, what he had been wearing during his period of extreme illness. Arthur pulled off his jacket and tossed it at him. "You'll get cold, Arthur." He croaked, trying to hand the jacket back.

"Oh shut up, will you?" He began to pick up stones, forming a circle in which he placed the wood. He struck the rocks against each other, lighting the fire. It grew slowly, providing just enough warmth for them to be comfortable. Merlin pulled the jacket around him and began to drift off. Arthur tapped him with his foot. "Hey, don't fall asleep yet, you've got to eat."

"I'm not hungry. I just want to sleep." Merlin protested. Arthur came up to him and put some dried fruit from the bag Gaius gave them in his hand.

"At least eat this, you can eat more when you wake up." He sighed and began to nibble on the fruit, and fell asleep shortly after he finished. Arthur sat awake, keeping watch. He watched Merlin, whose face was still ghostly pale and bore the mark of illness. The lines on his face were those of an old man, one with much responsibility and pain carried on his shoulders. Part of him wondered if he was responsible for any of those lines, and he was almost certain that he was. Merlin may not have been the best servant, but he certainly worked the hardest. Arthur pushed him hard. Perhaps that was the reason he had fallen ill, overworked to a point his immune system was weak. Guilt began to haunt him as he watched Merlin still fight the pain of his illness. At least now they knew he wouldn't die, the magic sealed that promise. Yet, he was still so weak. Arthur didn't know how long it would take them to get to Ealdor with Merlin in this state, let alone without horses.

The night was almost over, Arthur could see the sky lightening as the sun rise was approaching. Suddenly, Merlin sat up, sucking in a quick breath as he looked around frantically. "Arthur!"

"Merlin, what's wrong?" Arthur asked, moving over to him. The younger man's breath slowed as he calmed down.

"Oh… It's fine. Sorry." He eyed Arthur nervously before resting back against the tree.

"Did you have a nightmare?" The question was awkward, but Arthur knew he should ask.

"Doesn't matter." He stood up. "You should get what rest you can before the sun comes up, I'll start cooking the eggs Gaius put in our pack. There's some clothes in here if you want to change, I can wash the ones you're wearing." Arthur walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to sit down. "What are you doing?" Merlin asked as he plopped down beside him.

"There's something you should know, Merlin. Now that I have helped you, I've become a fugitive, as have you. Neither of us is welcome in Camelot anymore. That would automatically mean that, by running, I have forfeited my right to the throne, and my royal birth. I'm not a prince anymore, you don't have to treat me as such. You're not my servant, you don't have to do everything for me. Do you understand?"

"But, you are still my master. I was still born a peasant, and you a prince. That hasn't changed." Arthur sighed.

"Yes, it has. Remember when I told you that we could've been great friends if I wasn't a prince? This is our chance, Merlin. We're equals now. You are my _friend._" The surprise was evident on Merlin's face. Obviously, he knew that they had been friends for some time now, but Arthur was never one to admit it.

"Really?" Arthur nodded, though even he had been surprised by his own words.

"Yeah. Now do you get it?" Merlin nodded. "Good. Now, I'm going to take you up on your offer, but you don't have to do anything but keep watch, okay? Wake me if you hear or see anything."

"Of course." Once Arthur had turned his back away, a wide grin spread across Merlin's face. This was a new beginning for both of them. However, the longer he thought about it, the more guilt began to take over his thoughts. Arthur was a prince, he was meant to be the Once and Future King, the one to reunite Albion, but now, he was stripped of his title and forced to live a new life. And all of it was his fault. Had he failed his destiny?

He closed his eyes, surveying the area with magic. The knights who were looking for them were heading in the opposite direction, probably under Gaius's "hint". He was grateful, and knew they were in no immediate danger as he put a slight sleeping spell over Arthur to be sure he stayed asleep for at least another hour. He slowly made a way to a wider clearing, and walked the perimeter to be sure that it would be big enough for the dragon's wings.

"O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anakes!" He shouted, and sure enough, Kilgarrah flew in front of him.

"You are weak. What has happened?" The dragon asked him.

"Much. I fell ill and Arthur went and got a cure to save me, a magical cure, by the way. His father was very upset when he found out he'd risked his life to help a servant. Uther ordered me to be executed. Gaius came up with a plan to save me, and once Arthur had gotten me out of the city, he decided to come with me. He's given up his throne, Kilgarrah. I've failed." The dragon took in the information before speaking.

"How did the young Pendragon feel about his father when he left?"

"He hates him. He's questioning everything he's ever told him." To Merlin's surprise, the dragon smiled.

"I would assume this includes magic?"

"Well, yeah. But Arthur's not crown prince anymore, how is that a good thing?"

"It will all work out in the end, you just have to keep teaching him, Merlin. Teach him the difference between something evil and good, pure and impure. I promise you, do this, and the future of Albion will be secured."

"But how is that possible?"

"You will soon understand. For now, take advantage of this time, young warlock. Rest, and be happy, for the time is coming when the fate of the kingdom will be decided. Be strong, and do what you can to protect Arthur, even now. He is the once and future king."

"You keep telling me that, but how?!"

"You'll have to learn that for yourself. In the meantime, you must rest and grow strong again." With that, Kilgarrah flew off, leaving a very bewildered Merlin behind.

He walked back to where Arthur was still asleep, and he resumed his position from before. He watched Arthur, and was met with a shocking sight. He didn't believe it at first, so he moved closer to get a better look. A deep purple bruise wrapped around his neck, and the skin was chaffed. It looked incredibly painful, and Merlin could only imagine how it had gotten there. He examined it, and he felt a sickening feeling grow in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to believe it had been made by someone attacking him, but he knew no one had. That mark could only be made one way, but Merlin didn't want to accept it.


	5. What I Fight For

He sat and watched Arthur carefully, wondering what could have brought Arthur to go to such extreme measures, yet at the same time, hoping beyond hope that he was wrong. When he finally woke up not too much later, Merlin had breakfast ready.

"I told you that you didn't have to." Arthur said, coming to meet him.

"Yeah, like I was gonna let you cook." Merlin rolled his eyes, attempting to keep the atmosphere light and airy. Once they were sitting and eating, Merlin cleared his throat.

"You alright?" Arthur asked him.

"Are you?" Merlin answered. Arthur looked at him as if he were crazy. "What happened, Arthur?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your neck…" Arthur's hands flew up to his neck defensively.

"It's nothing."

"Tell me. I have to know, Arthur. Please." He sighed and looked at Merlin.

"You already know. I couldn't live without you!"

"So you tried to kill yourself?! Arthur, that's madness! Even if I had died, that's not what I would've wanted!"

"It was my fault! Do you really think I would want to keep living with that on my shoulders?!"

"That would have gone against everything I've ever stood for, everything I've fought to protect!"

"Fought?! Well, that's a joke. You've never fought a day in your life, let alone for something important." Arthur said bitterly. Merlin came close to him, a quiet rage building. He began to speak in a low voice, and though he was trying to fence his frustration, it showed.

"I have fought for things you could never understand, in ways your mind could not even fathom, Arthur Pendragon. I've done it all silently, I don't get any glory for my deeds, though I've lost count of how many times I've saved your life! I'm not like you, Arthur. I do good things with my only benefit being able to watch how other's lives have been affected. Yeah, I make mistakes, but I have to deal with the consequences they bring on my own! You are so very lucky, and you cannot even see! I try, I try so hard but it becomes too much sometimes! And who have I got to turn to?! Certainly not you. Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, there's a little more to me than just a servant? I have lost people so very dear to me, that you don't even know. And I lost them while I was with you, Arthur. But I don't show it for your sake. I have stood by your side loyally through all of your trials, you know I have. So don't you tell me for one second that I have not fought for something I care about. Perhaps we've not been friends since the very beginning, but you and I both know that it happened. I don't know when, or how. I don't know the exact moment I decided that I liked being around you, but I know it happened. I have fought to protect you, Arthur, in ways you don't understand. I've gone against my better judgment, and even lost people I love in the process. You haven't seen me fight for something I stand for, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. Because I stand for you, Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King." Merlin took a deep breath and his shaking legs betrayed him, causing him to fall. He simply sat and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Arthur was in general shock, not being able to understand most of what he said. He saw those lines come back upon Merlin's face that made him look so much older, so worn. He decided that he would take a piece of Merlin's speech that he did understand and start there. "Who've you lost, Merlin?" He asked hesitantly.

"Do you-" Merlin swallowed, his voice pained from speaking so long. "Do you remember the griffon? The beast like a black lion but with wings?" Arthur nodded, not speaking so that he could continue. "It was a person, did your father tell you that? It was druid girl. She couldn't help what she would become, she'd been cursed. It wasn't-It wasn't her fault." Merlin's eyes welled up with tears as he remembered her, the beautiful, sweet girl he'd met and fallen in love with. "I had been hiding her, trying to keep her safe from your father's judgment. He'd already ordered she be killed, I had to protect her. I helped her get away from her captors, and I hid her in the days that followed. In the night, she became the beast. She couldn't control it. She was so, so afraid. I loved her, Arthur… I loved her so much." Merlin wiped his eyes.

"…And I killed her. God, I'm so sorry Merlin." Merlin held his hands in front of him, staring at the space in between them. He trembled.

"I held her… in my arms, I held her. She was there, then she was gone. Life is so fleeting. I wanted to keep her safe. I wanted to be with her."

"You never told me. I knew you were upset, I didn't know…" He trailed off.

"It's over now, Arthur." He said sternly, standing to his feet. "We have to get moving." Arthur nodded, and they continued on in silence. Merlin was a bit faster than the day before, and they covered much more ground. It wasn't for another few hours that Arthur spoke again.

"How could you still serve me so well, Merlin? I killed the woman you loved, you have every right to hate me!" Merlin sighed.

"I've forgiven you, it was never your fault. You have been taught since you were a child that all things of magic are evil, I never blamed you for that."

"So, you disagree? You don't think magic is evil, even after all it has done to Camelot?" Merlin took a deep breath, choosing his next words carefully.

"I believe that it's like a sword, or any other weapon. You can choose what you do with it. When you hold the sword in your hands, Arthur, you choose whether you plunge it through someone's chest, or cut someone free of their bonds. I think it's the same for magic. If some one's heart is evil, they will use magic to destroy what is good. If their heart is good, they will use it to defend against what is evil. Do you see the difference? It all comes down to the person."

"And you really believe that? I've never met a good sorcerer, Merlin." Merlin fought to keep the smirk off his face.

"Maybe it's because they don't do what's good to get glory, maybe they just do it in the hope they can help someone, and perhaps in the hopes of a better tomorrow."

Arthur gazed at Merlin thoughtfully, before shaking his head. "Perhaps you're right. I can't trust anything my father's said to me anymore. He said everything of magic was evil, but, perhaps the only evil was him, him and his hatred of all things that came against him." Merlin stayed quiet, allowing Arthur to dwell on his thoughts.


	6. If Only I Had Known

They stopped shortly after noon so that Merlin could rest. Arthur handed him the food he hadn't eaten the night before, and he took it gratefully. When he saw that Arthur wasn't eating something himself, Merlin chucked an apple at him. He caught it, tossing it back. "Eat." Merlin said, throwing at him once again.

"We should save what food we have. Who knows how long it will take to get to Ealdor?"

"All the more reason you should eat."

"Merlin-"

"For once in your life, just listen to me!" He burst out. His face softened and his eyes lowered. "I'm sorry." He wouldn't look at Arthur.

"It's quite alright, Merlin." Arthur came and sat beside him, biting into the apple. It wasn't long until they were walking again. A few hours later, Merlin coughed painfully into his fist, spitting blood. Arthur looked at him with panic.

"Merlin! How long have you been-?!" The younger man held out his hand.

"It's," His voice was extremely hoarse. "It's alright. It's just the blisters in my throat, it's fine. It's not dangerous, I promise."

"But it must be painful!" Merlin smirked.

"Oh, it is. Very."

"What can I do, do you need something?"

"Water would be nice." Arthur hurriedly pulled the pack off his shoulders and handed the leather sack to him. Merlin's hands were shaking too badly for him to get the water into his mouth, so Arthur took it from him.

"Open." He commanded, and Merlin did so. As he poured the water down the other man's throat, he got his first look at the blisters lining its interior. "God Merlin, that's awful." He pulled away the water and Merlin swallowed, grimacing.

"We've got to keep going, I'm fine now." They continued on until quite late into the night, until they couldn't see the way in front of them. They didn't want to risk giving away their location with a fire, now that it wasn't desperately needed. Merlin reached into the pack and handed Arthur some dried meat, and took some fruit for himself. Arthur took out the blanket Gaius had packed and gave it to him. After a bit of protest, he took it, but only after he made sure Arthur had put his own jacket back on.

Merlin offered to keep watch, since Arthur had done it the night before. Of course, Arthur refused. So, they both ended up sitting side by side, staring into the darkness. "I never got to properly thank you, Arthur." Merlin said, not looking at him.

"Thank me?"

"You went to get the moon flower, you saved me. I'd be dead if you hadn't done that. In fact, everything you've done in the past few days has done nothing but save me."

"You've always been loyal to me, it was the very least I could do for you." Merlin turned his head to look at him.

"Thank you, Arthur. For all of this."

"That's what friends are for, aren't they?" Merlin smiled at the remark, but Arthur continued before he could speak. "I know I have more to thank you for, Merlin. You might not be willing to tell me now, but when you're ready, I'll listen. I'm not a completely selfish person, and I give credit where credit is due."

"I know. You really are a man of honor, I've always known that." They sat quietly once more.

The sound of leaves rustling pierced the silence, quick footsteps echoing around them. Arthur was on his feet in an instant, followed closely by Merlin. "Show yourselves!" Arthur shouted. It was still now, too still.

Suddenly, their attackers were upon them. They were a band of thieves, desperate for anything the two travelers might have. Arthur fought skillfully, wielding his sword with much practice, his hands preforming with they needed to do by muscle memory. He stood back to back with Merlin, who was quietly muttering incantations under his breath.

They had fought for a good couple of minutes, when Merlin felt weight against his back. His own knees buckled underneath him, and he turned to see Arthur, letting out a yell of pain but immediately standing back up. "Were you hit?!" Merlin asked him.

"I'm fine." He forced, hands starting to shake. Merlin knew he had to end this battle quickly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Run, Arthur."

"What? No! That's ridiculous!"

"I promise, I can handle myself. I'll see you soon. It'll be fine. I'm stronger than you know. I want you to run as fast as you can, and don't look back. If you don't go, we'll both die here. Just go!" Arthur looked at his friend uncertainly, and Merlin gave him a reassuring nod. He whispered and men were knocked out of Arthur's way. He didn't notice, just forced his way through. Merlin counted to twenty, plenty of time for Arthur to be almost out of earshot, considering all the noise around them.

"O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anakes!" Within a minute, the flapping of wings could be heard in the distance. Merlin smiled wide and began to back away as the thieves stood in shock. He pulled their pack out of a man's arms and took off, heading the way Arthur had gone as Kilgarrah frightened the men away.

"Arthur? Where are you?" He called out.

"Here. I-I'm here." His voice was pained, and he was out of breath. Merlin followed the sound, and found Arthur lying against a thick tree. His hand was clasped over his chest, eyes shut tightly, in obvious pain.

"Arthur!" Merlin knelt beside him, putting his own hand over Arthur's. "Let me see." Arthur was reluctant, but gave in, too weak to object.

"It'll be fine, fine." He smiled weakly before Merlin was able to see, and his face shifted to a delicate form of shock. Arthur let his head fall back, sighing. An arrow had hit Arthur directly in the left side of his chest, and it hadn't been shallow. "It's bad, isn't it?" Arthur asked tiredly, trying not to make his fear obvious.

Merlin had become used to sight of blood, but blood coming from Arthur was entirely different. And there was so _much._ He was afraid to take out the arrow, knowing it would result in more blood. "It'll be alright, Arthur. I promise." He nodded, quickly becoming too weak to speak. "We'll make it to Ealdor. I know we will." Arthur couldn't move without jarring his injury, so Merlin reached forward, using a little help from magic to sling him over his shoulder.

"You're not-not strong enough, Merlin. L-Leave me." Arthur protested.

"Not gonna happen."

"But you'll never make it, you have to-"

"Now is not the time for you heroic act. Now is the time for you to shut up and stay alive!" Arthur remained quiet after that, and Merlin could not be certain if he was unconscious or not. He just kept running. He knew that if he ran fast enough, he could make it to Ealdor. Yet… even then, would Arthur be able to survive?

Merlin ran as fast as his legs could carry him, using magic to help him along the way. It was dark, and without the dim light that he cast on the trail he would have gotten lost. Hours passed, Merlin was weak but couldn't let himself stop. He needed Arthur to live.

When he realized he could go no farther, he saw a cave nearby, as if fate had known they'd come there. He practically drug Arthur into it, and assessed their current state. Arthur's blood covered Merlin's shirt, hands, and arms. Arthur was very pale from the loss of so much blood, and Merlin knew they didn't have much time. He could try to heal him with magic, but he didn't know the spell. He pulled himself outside, grabbing a few pieces of wood closest to the door, then took them and put them near Arthur.

"Byrne." He whispered, and the wood went up in flames. He held his hand over Arthur's chest, desperately searching his mind for the right spell. He came up with something, and even if it would not heal him, it would keep his heart beating for the time being. Making his torn, wounded heart beat would be extremely painful, so it was good that Arthur was unconscious. Still, he could not bear to see the pained expression on his face, and started digging through the pack Gaius gave him. He pulled out a vial filled to the brim with a dark blue liquid that Merlin knew to be pain medication. He poured some into Arthur's mouth and put the rest in their bag for him later.

"Cor Iesu, quem ante videram." His eyes flashed with magic and he could see Arthur's body visibly tense in pain. Merlin pulled his own blood-soaked shirt off and wrapped it as tightly as possible around Arthur's wound. He was too nervous to pull Arthur's shirt off, knowing it would be bad. Once he was satisfied with the makeshift bandage, he leaned against the wall of the cave, eyes drifting closed until he could fight the sleep no longer.

**Please review! I'd appreciate it. Let me know how you like (or don't like) it, and tell me of any scenes you'd like to see!**


	7. Breaking the Ties

The search party of knights came up to where Arthur and Merlin had set up camp half a day ago. They saw the aftermath of a battle, singed ground with only a few bodies and masses of footsteps leading away from the area. They saw a long streak of blood heading away from the area, then stopping by a tree. "Someone was hurt." One of them remarked.

The rest of the knights gathered around the area. "They're going the opposite way as all the other footsteps, I think it's safe to assume that this was one of them." The rest agreed.

"There's way too much blood for this person to survive. They were probably already dead, and the other carried the body from here." Now, the knights were solemn. Arthur had been their instructor, a friend of sorts, and most definitely a good man. Uther's harsh punishment had caused his son either extreme grief, or death. They knew Merlin, and the thought either of the boys lying dead with the other left to mourn, well, that was enough to get them to stop chasing.

Leon had been with that search party, and he could do nothing but hope that the signs were wrong. Maybe the blood was that of some bandit, or maybe the wound was somewhere non-vital. Still… that much blood, how could someone survive?

Merlin woke not too much later, and walked out of the mouth of the cave. He closed his eyes to sense the path ahead, and realized that they were within a three hour's slow walk to Ealdor. If he ran, perhaps an hour. He struggled to hoist Arthur up over his shoulder, and used magic to relieve some of the weight. "Hang in there, Arthur." He muttered, sprinting off as fast as was possible.

It seemed as if the entire world had gone silent, at least for Merlin. Nothing mattered, nothing except the crack of twigs and crunch of leaves beneath his feet with every step he took. That meant he was getting closer. Arthur would not, could not, die. The minutes passed like hours for him, straining with every part of his being to keep running.

Finally, after what could have been forever, Ealdor was before his eyes. He smiled with relief, forcing himself to go that much faster. He made his way to his mother's home, clearing off her wooden table and resting his load on it. Now that they were there, he realized he had no idea what to do. Arthur was still dying. Somehow, he'd imagined that as soon as they got to Ealdor, everything would be okay.

In Camelot, the patrol told Uther of what they'd seen.

"What do you mean, 'you've stopped looking'?!" Uther bellowed angrily. Leon stepped forward and kneeled.

"My lord, one of them is surely dead by now. The other will not hold any present danger to the kingdom, Sire."

"I want Arthur found and persecuted for his crimes. I cannot show any sign of weakness, I am his father. Perhaps he has learned his lesson by now."

"Sire, we are lead to believe it may not have been Merlin who has fallen-"

"What makes you think that? Surely my son could hold his own in a battle."

"There were… signs that the other person was attempting to administer medical treatment. We know that Merlin had been training under Gaius, and well, he wouldn't be treating himself. There was too much blood for a person to be in any state to think about what could help, sire." Uther's face became downcast as he realized what this meant. Still, he didn't want it to be true.

"What do you mean by all of this?"

"I mean no disrespect, my lord, but it seems the prince is-"

"But the wound may not have been serious, perhaps it was not fatal?" Leon bowed his head.

"There was too much blood, sire. Even if the wound itself proved not to be deadly, the blood loss would have killed the person by now."

"Still, it may have been the boy Merlin's injury."

"I didn't want to tell you this, Sire, but we brought a sample of the blood to Gaius. He compared it to the blood he took from the prince when he was born." Gaius stepped forward, head bowed.

"If I may, your Highness?" Gaius asked, and Uther nodded at him. "Though the blood that I had collected from Arthur at his birth is now dead, it is undoubtedly the same blood type they collected. Merlin's blood type was different than his, sire. It cannot be his blood."

"Find the boy Merlin! He will PAY for what he has done!" Uther bellowed, his voice shaking the reserve of everyone in the room.

"Sire…" Gaius's voice cracked through his tears. "Merlin-" He cleared his throat. "Merlin was ill, Sire. His only hope would have been dependent of Prince Arthur's help. He won't be able to survive, he'll be long gone by the time you find him, if he has not already. However, without a doubt in my mind, Sire, the prince…" He drew in a shaky breath. "The prince is dead."

There was a nearly inaudible gasp from the back of the room, and a serving girl slipped away down the hall, sprinting as soon as she was out of sight. She didn't go too far, beginning to stumble. She let herself fall to her knees, leaning against a wall on her right as sobs overtook her. Gwenivere, the Once and Future Queen, fell apart in the dim light of that lonely hallway, and knew that she'd never love again.

Hunith walked in to her home with a basket of corn, closing the door behind her. She turned to set the basket on the table, and saw two people in her home, one on her kitchen table with an arrow sticking out of his chest. The blood, so much blood! She gasped and dropped her basket, the contents spilling. She stared at the intruders, her mind fogged by the shock of the scene. Merlin began to tremble. "Mom?" His voice cracked, and in that moment Hunith realized.

"Oh, Merlin." She sighed, running and wrapping her arms around him. She felt the sticky blood covering him, and secretly hoped none of it was his. Yet, if it had all come from this other person, then there was little hope. She turned to face the person on the table, and after a moment, she realized it was Prince Arthur. He was beyond pale, in fact, if it weren't for the fact she could see his chest rise and fall, she'd have thought him dead.


	8. It's Going to be Okay

**Just so you guys know, I'm aware that it would have been impossible to know the blood was Arthur's and what not, but I needed it for my plot line. I apologize, I hope that didn't make any of you angry. :/ I love you guys!**

"I don't know what to do… His heart will stop soon, the spell can't last much longer. The arrow pierced his heart." Hunith looked at her son mournfully.

"You don't know a spell to heal him?"

"No, I've tried! If only I'd studied the healing arts when Gaius tried to teach me… I can't believe I've done this… I could've saved him." Merlin's eyes welled with tears. Hunith's eyes lit up and she rushed to her bedroom. She took her clay pot, the one that had been sitting on a little stool against the wall since the time she'd discovered Merlin's gifts. The neck of the vase was too skinny to reach through, she had made it that way so that no one could discover her treasures. With shaking fingers, the woman threw her pot to the floor, smashing it. The clay pieces scattered around her feet, along with the papers stuffed within.

Merlin heard the pot break and rushed to his mother's room. Hunith stared at her son as he bent down to pick up one of the crumpled sheets of parchment. She watched as his eyes scanned it and realization dawned on his face. "Mom…" He picked up another sheet and read it. "Mom, what are these?" Hunith approached him.

"You should know." She said softly. "I've been saving them, in case the need ever arose. I didn't know what you would be able to do. Maybe one of them is a healing spell that can help the prince." Merlin got on his knees and frantically dug through the papers on the floor, picking them up and examining them. Hunith did the same.

He and his mother checked paper after paper, and finally Hunith stood, holding a paper towards the window so that it was easier to read. "Will this work?" Merlin stood and took it from her, eyes flicking over the page quickly, then his lips drew into a wide smile.

"I can do it! I can do it!" Merlin took the paper in his hand and rushed to Arthur. He read it over and over, whispering it under his breath to be sure he had it right. He was still practicing when Arthur's breath shuddered. Merlin could hear the blood bubbling as he breathed, and he knew that it was now or never. His friend would die if he waited any longer.

He tugged the arrow out of Arthur's heart, and the blood gushed forth. Merlin gasped as Arthur tensed in pain, even during his unconsciousness. He was nearly sick when he saw a bit of Arthur's heart left on the arrow.

Nervously, he held his hands over Arthur's chest. He spoke the incantation forcefully. "Hoc vulnus pugnam corrigendum." His eyes flashed with gold… and there was nothing. He tried again, and again. He was becoming frantic now, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. He kept saying the spell, over and over, louder and louder. Merlin shook terribly, and it broke Hunith's heart. She went around the table and came behind him, reaching around his back and holding onto his arms, steadying them.

"Shhhhh, my boy." She said gently. Merlin cleared his throat and took a deep breath. He spoke one more time.

"Hoc vulnus pugnam corrigendum." The bubbling breaths stopped. Merlin blinked through his tears as he looked down at his friend, who was now breathing steadily. His face was still pained, but that was to be expected. Merlin nervously reached forward and touched his chest, but couldn't feel the wound. He began to pull Arthur's shirt off, but realized it was a futile attempt. He began to try and rip the shirt, but he could not muster the strength. Hunith saw what he was trying and took over.

Seeing Arthur's pale, bloodstained chest was a shock to both of them. His original bandages had fallen off, so the cut from his collar bone to his breast bone was uncovered. To the left of that was the hole the arrow left. Hunith hurried to the bucket of water she had brought from the well that morning, when she had intended to use it for cooking. She brought it to them with a rag, and began to ever so gently wipe the blood away from the area around the wound.

Once a few layers of blood had been removed, they could see that the arrow wound had become a soft, round, pink scar. Merlin swayed, and he would've fallen to the ground if Hunith hadn't been quick to pull up a kitchen chair and help him into it. She turned back to Arthur, getting a couple of blankets to elevate his feet. That much she knew had to be done, at least all the endless ramblings of Gaius had taught her something.

There was a knock at the door. Hunith went to open it, and her neighbor Jonathan stood there. "Hey, Hunith. Is everything alright? I heard a bit of a commotion, just wanted to check on you…" He trailed off as his eyes caught on the two young men in her kitchen, covered in blood. He opened his mouth to speak, eyes wide, but Hunith held her hand out to stop him.

"It's all fine, Jonathan. You can come in if you'd like and see for yourself, I'm not hurt. They mean no ill will." The man hesitantly stepped into the room. "I think you'll remember my son, Merlin. And this is Arthur Pendragon." At the name, the man looked at her with incredulity.

"Hunith, what's going on?" He asked.

"I've yet to figure that out. My son brought the wounded prince here only but ten minutes ago." He looked over at Merlin, whose eyes were wide and whose body still trembled. There was so much blood, all over himself, all over Arthur. He could think of nothing else but the thick, sticky substance that coated them both. He realized his mother was kneeling in front of him, placing her hand on his knee. "Merlin? My boy, can you tell me what happened?" Merlin could not get himself to speak, he opened his mouth but it was as if there were a boa constrictor keeping a death grip on his throat. He just let out a shuddered breath, hoping his mother would understand.

Jonathan stepped forward towards Merlin. "I think he's in shock." He put his thumb on Merlin's cheek and stretched skin away from his eye to see. After a moment, Jonathan moved his palm down, then put the back of his hand against the boy's forehead, cheeks, then neck. "Hunith." He gestured for her to come, and she took a step closer. "He's burning up."

Hunith finally got a moment to look her son over. He looked very haggard, and his startling blue eyes looked tired, perhaps even a bit dimmer than she remembered. She brought her hand up to his cheek, and indeed, he was running a fever, and definitely a high one at that. "Merlin, can you hear me? Merlin?"

His mind was elsewhere. He couldn't quite comprehend everything going on around him, the only thought that penetrated his mind was _blood, everywhere, blood, between my fingers, blood, up my arms, blood, Arthur, blood, more blood, blood, running in crimson streaks all around them, hot, red, sticky, think, ugly, disgusting blood._

Merlin's breath caught in his chest and tears welled up in his eyes. "Shhhh, shhhhh, Merlin, it's okay. Arthur's okay. You're both okay. Just calm down." Merlin couldn't quite understand what she was saying, but her voice calmed him ever so slightly. Hunith smiled. "Let's get you cleaned up now, shall we? Jonathan, his old bedroom is just down the hall. There's a dresser that has clean clothes in it, I only hope that he'll still fit into them…" The older man was already in the boy's room, rummaging through the clothes to find something suitable.

He remembered Merlin, from when he used to live in the humble village. He had been an odd boy, and Hunith never really let him out much, except with his friend Will. Even then, she hadn't begun to let Merlin do that until he was a teenager. There was always something different about him, though no one could ever quite place it. Hunith and her son were on the poor side of even their community, and Jonathan was finding it hard to find a suitable shirt for Merlin. He assumed that the boy had taken what was considered to be his best clothes with him when he left for Camelot.

Finally, he found a light blue shirt with no holes, and a pair of brown pants that would have to do. He brought them to Hunith, and she acknowledged them as she continued to clean the blood off of Merlin's arms and hands. His face was already free of blood, but there seemed to be several layers of dried blood beneath the top layer of the wet liquid. He flinched whenever his mother brought the cloth to his face, probably because it felt icy against his scorching skin. I turned my attention to Prince Arthur, whose breathing was shallower than would have been comfortable.

"Is all of this blood his?" Jonathan looked at Hunith and her son for an answer. Merlin nodded slowly, finally trying to get a grip on himself. His throat burned and the taste of blood in his mouth began to overwhelm him. _Blood. _It was too much… Far too much. What if his spell wasn't enough? What if Arthur still died? Merlin didn't think he'd be able to handle that.

Jonathan sighed and moved to Arthur. "He needs to get medical help. Camelot castle has a physician-" Merlin had been working up to that moment, trying to get his voice to work.

"Can't. Go. Back." That was all he could muster the strength to say before he was thrown into a violent coughing fit. Blood ripped from his throat and fell upon his fingers.

"Oh no…" Hunith whispered, handing Merlin the rag to wipe away the blood.

" 'm okay, Mom. Arthur's already saved me. Just look after him…" Merlin was so tired, the last bit of adrenaline tapped out. He had run several straight miles with Arthur on his shoulder (albeit with the help of magic) and was just ready to sleep.

" 'm tired…" His words slurred.

"I know, I know, Merlin. But we've got to finished getting you cleaned up first. Jonathan, could you get more water?" He nodded and left, and Hunith continued to clean her son's arms. She peeled the bloody shirt off of his small form, and began to wipe his chest.

Jonathan returned and Hunith retrieved clean rags from her cupboards, finally able to get the bottom layers of blood off of his pale, burning skin. Once he was clean, Jonathan helped the boy into the clothes he'd brought, and Hunith laid down a blanket on the floor for him to sleep on, in the little room that used to be his own. It felt nicely familiar to Merlin, and he was asleep within moments.

Hunith kept a cool cloth on his forehead, and Jonathan sat beside the prince. A few hours later, Merlin came to again. She poured some water down his bleeding throat and Merlin pulled himself into a sitting position. "Mom." He reached forward, and they embraced.

"What's happened, my boy?" She asked tentatively. Merlin sighed.

"Much. I don't know where to start…"

"From the beginning, Merlin." He drew in a slow, shaky breath before beginning.

"I was ill. Very ill. Dying, ready to die. Arthur brought a cure. He was hurt, and Uther was angry. I was sentenced to death. Arthur and Gaius saved me again. We ran. Bandits, thieves… attacked, hurt Arthur. Arthur… is no longer heir to the throne of Camelot." His last words hung in the air around them.

"What?" Hunith asked, wondering whether or not that could be true.

"He gave it up… for me." Hunith looked out the door to where Arthur was lying on the table, unmoved. "Is he okay?" She patted her son's hand.

"Yes. You saved him, Merlin. He's okay. He hasn't woken yet, but I suspect that is because his body is still healing." He was relieved, after being so terrified of losing him.

"We can't go back to Camelot." He said with an air of certainty.

"You can stay here. It'll be okay, you can live in Ealdor. You'll be safe. The people here know Arthur, they know he helped us defend ourselves. They will be hospitable."

"I hoped they would be. We've nowhere else to go."

"Rest now, my son."

"I should sit with Arthur…" He moved to get up, but Hunith held him down.

"No, Merlin, you need to sleep. Even now, I can feel the fever burn inside you. Please, rest. If not for your own sake, for Arthur. He will want to see you well when he is up. I will wake you when he comes around, I promise." Reluctantly, he agreed and laid to rest.


	9. Two Types of Hope

Merlin slept for days, slipping in and out of fevered dreams. He coughed and his chest ached, but he never felt it for long before he was drawn back into his sleep. Hunith was concerned for her boy, and sat with him, calming him whenever he was startled out of a dream. Jonathan sat with the prince so that Hunith would not have to worry, making sure she remembered to eat and sleep.

Almost a week had passed. Hunith had resorted to forcing water down her son's tortured throat, but they did not give anything to Arthur. The magic coursing through his veins was sustaining him, and color was already returning to his body.

"Hunith!" Jonathan called, and the woman came from her son's bedroom to her kitchen. Arthur stirred, and after a few moments opened his eyes.

"What…" He sat up, eyes wide, grabbing onto Jonathan's arm desperately. "Merlin! Where's Merlin?!"

"Hey, hey, it's fine, he's okay, he's here. Calm down, relax!" Jonathan said, and his face softened. "He's sleeping."

"What happened? I was… dying, I was as good as dead!" He pulled back his shirt to look at his bare chest, where, beside the slash from the beast, the arrow wound now only a scar. "How?!" He began to panic, but Hunith came beside him and soothed him.

"Arthur, it's alright. Shhhh… It's okay."

"But… magic?"

"No, no, my lord. Medicine, very good medicine." Arthur blinked slowly, and sat up more comfortably, looking at the woman.

"Hunith?"

"Yes, my lord." She smiled, and went to get Arthur a cup of water, which he took gratefully.

"Merlin, is he okay?"

"He arrived here, carrying you, slightly over a week ago. He fell into shock. As you know, he was ill as well. He's been sleeping for most of the time since you came, he wakes every once in a while from his fevered mind, dazed and confused. I think the shock plays its part too, but I think if he were anyone else, he would be dead." Arthur bowed his head and shook it.

"Oh, Merlin." He sighed. He slowly swung his legs over the side of the table, standing. He fell over, and Jonathan caught him and pushed him back against the table.

"Woah, hold on!" The man said, and Arthur took a moment to get his bearings. His muscles hadn't been used in over a week, so he was stiff and wobbly.

"It's alright, I've got it. Where's Merlin?"

"His room is there." Hunith pointed. "But, Sire, he is very sick, and it shows. I don't know that you'd want to see him right now." It was too late, Arthur was already pushing his way into Merlin's room, where he was asleep on the floor.

Merlin looked so much worse than he had when Arthur last saw him. His hair was plastered to his face with fever, and his eyes had dark shadows beneath them, so dark that even in the dim room they were apparent. The pain that he was in was written all over his face as he struggled beneath his blankets, coughing. It was almost impossible to tell that he was asleep.

Arthur kneeled beside him, taking the cloth from his friend's forehead and dipping it into the basin beside them before replacing it. Merlin's eyes fluttered open. He squinted as if he was not sure of whether or not it was real. Finally, he reached out from beneath his blankets and grabbed Arthur's arm with as much strength as he could muster.

"Arthur…" A wide smile spread across his face as the hoarse voice spoke the name. "You're okay." He leaned back against his pillow. "You're… you're okay." A short laugh escaped his lips. "You're okay!"

"Merlin… yes, I'm fine. Looks like you got the short end of the stick, though." Merlin was giddy, an odd sight considering the state he was in. He laughed, tears streaming down his cheeks, and he didn't care.

"Arthur, you don't understand! You, you were almost dead! I was… I was so scared. But you're alive! You're alive… and you're okay." His chuckled gently, the pain in his throat making itself known. Arthur was at a loss for words, finding it hard to understand his friend's state of mind. Here Merlin was, staring death and pain right in the face, and he was rejoicing over the fact that Arthur was okay.

Time went on, and slowly but surely, Merlin began to recover. He required less and less sleep, and as the blisters began to heal, he was able to eat very soft foods. He had grown very thin through this ordeal, but Hunith was determined to change that. He stayed bedridden for many weeks.

Camelot was in grieving for the young prince. Without him, there was no hope for a better future in the kingdom. People wore black and the flags were flown at half-mast. Uther would not speak to any of his council, or even servants. He was in his room all hours of the day, leaving at night to mindlessly wander the halls. His boy, his son was gone. He cried for his child, and realized that he should have foreseen the day coming. The boy had been born of magic, how could he ever have become his heir? Destiny would keep it from being so. A Pendragon must be of pure blood. Still, it was no fault of Arthur's. All the blame was on the king himself. He had to have an heir. Now, he had no wife, no son, nothing. What good was a kingdom if you have no one to share it with? He would never be given the chance to see Arthur grow to be the noble man of honor he had the potential to be. It was all his fault, if only he'd let the stupid serving boy live.

That serving boy… Uther hoped he died a painful death, somewhere alone. He hoped the guilt of Arthur's death weighed heavily upon him as the last thing he ever would think.

Gwen went to work every day, did everything she was supposed to. Her hands did the work while she lived inside her mind. All she thought about was Arthur, her only remaining hope that perhaps it wasn't too painful, perhaps it was quick. And Merlin, her best friend, maybe he was still alive. But if he was, he'd never return to Camelot, not without Arthur. Merlin was probably dead too, or dying. He could never have made it to Ealdor, not on his own. Her boys, they were gone. Terrible, awful deaths had stolen them from her. But she continued on, just like she always had.

Gaius's age showed more than ever those days. As much as he wanted to believe that he was wrong, that the boys were okay, that Merlin had been able to save Arthur, he knew it wasn't so. Merlin, if the illness hadn't killed him, he would have done the job himself. With no destiny left, he would never have kept going. His poor child, dying alone, it was too much. Destiny wasn't kind. Gaius's bones always ached, his head pounded in ways that a draught could not relieve. He was old, ancient even, and he didn't have anything keeping him busy to distract him from the slow crawl of the days that passed without his adopted son and his prince.

Gwen tapped at the door to Gaius's chamber. "Enter." He said softly. His face brightened to see the girl, she hadn't come to him since the news of the boys' apparent passing. "Gwen." He smiled and turned to her, holding open his arms. She ran to him, burying her face into his chest, sobbing. He held her close, trying not to shed tears himself. "I know, I know." After some time, Gwen pulled away, wiping her eyes.

"Gaius, I'm sorry." She said, voice cracking. Gaius brushed hair out of her face.

"There's nothing to be sorry for, my dear."

"I can't believe it, I can't."

"I know."

"Is there no hope, Gaius?" She was still desperate.

"No, I'm afraid not. The world is a darker place now without them."

"They can't be gone! They can't be, Gaius!" She sobbed, and they fell silent once again. "I won't leave you again, I promise." She vowed, taking the old man's hand. He smiled at her.

"If only I could promise the same to you."

"What do you mean?" '

"I am old, Gwen. What do I have left? I have lived longer than most, perhaps too long. I am tired, and without them, I am nothing."

"Gaius, I need you." She said, grabbing to his shirt.

"And I need Merlin!" Neither of the names had been spoken since the day the deaths were announced. It was always 'the prince and his manservant.' Gaius slid into a chair Gwen pulled up for him, burying his face in his hands. "My boy… My son." His old shoulders shook with sobs, and Gwen could feel her own heart shattering. She wrapped her arms around the man and held him, for all it was worth.

**Feedback always makes me happy! Please, tell me what you think of my story this far! :)**


	10. The End of the Beginning

**Wow! I loved all of the feedback I received from you guys, I'm always open to hearing from my readers! So, I've decided to give you this chapter sooner than I'd intended as a token of my appreciation. Happy Reading, my fellow Merlinians!**

Merlin sat up in his room one afternoon, with Arthur cross-legged beside him. His fever hadn't returned for six days, and the end was in sight. It had been such an ordeal, getting through the illness despite the shock. But now, things were finally looking up.

Arthur seemed like a completely different man. To everyone's surprise, he had taken to the new lifestyle quickly. He worked his fair share in the fields, like any other capable man in the village. His hands were growing calloused and his hair was usually tousled. If anyone were to meet him for the first time, they would never suspect him of being royal. Jonathan had given him some old clothes that no longer fit, and Arthur had learned to be grateful. And at first, with Merlin so terribly ill, Arthur learned to cherish each day as it came, and to treat Merlin like the friend he was. Because, after all, the former manservant deserved that, after all he'd done, all he'd gone through for Arthur.

Now, with Merlin out of danger and nearing recovery, they were friends. They laughed and talked with each other when Arthur was not working. Merlin was growing strong and healthy again. He left his room and would sit in the little kitchen with Arthur.

Little did Arthur know, Merlin was learning to cherish the moments as well. When Arthur's death had been so very close, the warlock had realized how much he needed Arthur, and how much he needed to protect him. It wasn't just his destiny, no, it was his pleasure to make sure that Arthur stayed alive, because he needed Arthur. Arthur was his friend.

As Merlin grew stronger, Gaius grew weaker. His old body had no adrenaline to run off of, no promise of a greater destiny. And so, as Merlin was taking his first steps as a healthy person again, Gaius was taking his last. He became bedridden, his muscles too weak to hold him and his heart too weak to sustain him. Morgana gave Gwen permission to stay with him at all times.

Uther had received news of Gaius's ailment. He had already long since stepped up once again and taken his place as King of Camelot. The people needed to know they had a leader, even in this time of grieving. So, hearing that Gaius was confined to bed, he immediately headed to his chambers. He knew as well as anyone that Gaius was old, but it always seemed he had a sort of immortal air about him. But, as he thought about it, the physician did seem weaker and more frail than usual since… He'd been so engulfed by grief that it hadn't occurred to him that perhaps his friend's health was failing.

Entering the room, he saw Gaius lying in his chambers, the servant Gwenivere tending to him. He had already grown too weak to hold up his head, so Gwen held it up to pour water into his throat. Uther approached the bed, and when Gwen set the glass aside, she stood to curtsy before the king.

"How is he?" Uther asked, watching the man carefully. Gwenivere bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears before she took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, my lord, I mean not to disrespect you in any way, I just… I'm sorry." She said, voice tight.

"Will he recover?" He asked, softer. She lowered her head, tears spilling as she shook it. She looked up, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle a sob before wiping her eyes. She continued to shake her head.

"He's too weak, my lord."

"Give me a few moments with him." Uther said, and after Gwen turned and smoothed back the hair on Gaius's face, she left the room.

He took her seat, and Gaius struggled to turn his head to look at him with tired eyes. "I apologize, Your Highness." The old man said hoarsely.

"Whatever for?" The king replied, confused. Gaius smiled gently.

"I would get up to bow, but my legs would not hold me up." Uther smiled too, shaking his head as a half-hearted chuckle let his lips.

"Such humor. You've been such a good friend to me, Gaius. I know, I have not always been the same to you."

"You always did what you thought was best."

"And I was not always right."

"But that's okay. Sire, you are human. There is only but one thing that I find hard to forgive."

"And what is that?" Uther raised an eyebrow.

"The boy Merlin, he was my ward. You know that. He was better than a son to me. I know that you blame him for Arthur's death, but, in complete truth, you are at fault. He was only a serving boy, my lord." Gaius's eyes welled with tears, and it was truly a sight worthy of pity. "He was my boy… And he's dead now, he and Arthur both. And Merlin isn't to blame. He didn't ask for trouble, but it followed him everywhere. He was already dying, Arthur chose to save him… And you would have had my boy killed to prove a point. Can I tell you a secret, my lord? I am already a dead man, there is no point in keeping this from you any longer."

Though Uther was upset, he allowed Gaius to continue.

"I could not bear losing Merlin, but he was slipping away quickly, and I could do nothing. So, I asked Arthur for help. I needed Merlin to live, and I knew that of anyone could save him, it was Arthur." Gaius closed his eyes, a weak sob escaping him. "I'm sorry, my lord. I'm sorry. Arthur would not let me tell you the truth. He feared you would hurt me. But I wanted to save my boy. Don't you understand? He was my son! You know the pain of losing a son now, my lord, and I am no stranger to that pain. We both have lost children, but you would have taken my son and have him killed! And because of your cruelty, both of our sons are now dead. In your attempts to assert your position, we have lost everything. Merlin was my everything, and either way, he would have been dead. My… My son."

"Gaius… You hold me guilty on such accounts?"

"You are no more guilty than I, but I am very guilty. The blood is on both of our hands." They remained in silence for a short time.

"I'm sorry, Gaius." Tears welled in Uther's eyes as he thought of his son, how it really was his fault, if he'd only let the boy live. And in his hasty act, he would have killed Gaius's child in cold blood without a second thought. A life for a life, but this time there was no upside.

"I must learn to forgive." Gaius said earnestly. "That is why I tell you all of this. It is easy to see that now, my time runs short, and before it's over I want to be able to forgive you."

"Live, Gaius. Cure yourself, there must be a way."

"I am old, and without my child, I am ready to go. Being without him has taken its toll on this body. What do I have to hold on to? No, I will simply die in peace."

"I hate to leave you now, but there is a meeting I have to attend. I'll be back, if you want me to come, that is." Gaius smiled at him.

"Of course, Sire. I would certainly value your company, if you are not too busy."

"Never too busy for you, Gaius." The king nodded and left, and Gaius rested deep into his pillows. He felt hollow. A part of him had selfishly hoped that he would get to see the rise of Albion, magic return, Arthur as king and Merlin by his side. He could picture it, Merlin, in great royal robes, finally recognized for all of his great deeds, and able to be himself, unhindered by his secret. People would respect and cherish him, marvel at his gifts. But no, that day would never come. The boys were dead, and he was soon to follow them.


	11. Time For Change

**Author's Note: I hadn't planned on updating so soon, but I got reviews and those make me happy :)**

Merlin was quite nearly himself again, beginning to work with Arthur in the fields. They talked and laughed throughout the days. It was planting season, they'd been in Ealdor for nearly four months. It was peaceful, almost too peaceful, but Merlin took the dragon's advice. He was going to be happy.

Merlin and Arthur both slept on their mats on opposite sides of Merlin's old room. Merlin woke one morning, walking to Arthur's side and kicking him to wake him up, just like he did every morning. "C'mon, lots of work today. We need to start planting early."

Despite no longer being prince and servant, they still fell into the habits often, in small ways. When they entered the kitchen, Hunith had breakfast ready. Arthur stretched before taking a seat at the table with Merlin. "What day is it?" He asked, and they all began to count the days in their head. "Oh, that's right! March 27th. It was the 24th on Friday." Hunith and Merlin looked at each other in surprise.

"Is it the 27th already?" Hunith asked. Merlin simply stared at his food, shaking his head.

"I completely forgot too, it's alright Mom. I haven't remembered for the past few years now, it's not a big deal."

"What is it?" Arthur asked, not catching on.

"Today's my birthday." Merlin said, almost bashfully. Arthur suddenly felt guilty, he'd never even thought to ask Merlin when his birthday was, despite the fact that he'd been serving him for a few years. How could Merlin forget his own birthday that many times?

"Really? Wow, Merlin, how old are you now?" Merlin stopped for a moment to think.

"Um, I'm pretty sure I'm 22 now."

"Pretty sure?"

"It doesn't really matter." Arthur thought of all the times he'd had huge birthday parties, a celebration for the entire kingdom.

"Merlin! Of course it matters!" The younger boy smiled and shook his head.

Jonathan walked in. Turns out, the man had been taking care of Hunith for many years now, making sure she was always well-supplied and safe. Being a single woman in a lonely village can be dangerous. "What's all the commotion?" He asked.

"It's Merlin's birthday." Hunith said proudly.

"Is that so? Well, happy birthday, boy!" He playfully rubbed his knuckles on Merlin's head, laughing. "Say, why don't you and Arthur take the day off, go do something fun for a change."

"At the beginning of planting?!" Merlin seemed appalled by the idea. "There's too much work to be done."

"Tell me, how many years are you today?" He asked, leaning down to meet Merlin's gaze.

"Twenty-two."

"You only turn twenty-two once! Now, you and Arthur go and have a good day. Arthur hasn't taken a day off since you two arrived, I think we'll survive without you both for a little bit."

"Maybe we could go hunting…" Merlin suggested.

"I thought you hated hunting." Arthur said.

"Well, I do, but winter is coming and we'll need the meat, and the kids are going to need warmer clothes. That way, at least we'll be doing something useful." Arthur called Hunith and Jonathan into a huddle, and they whispered, looking back at Merlin once in a while just to bother him. "What are you guys talking about?" He asked several times. They finally broke the huddle.

"Alright Merlin, let's go hunting. Me and you, just like old times." He nudged Merlin's arm, and he smiled. They went to the small armory hut together and for the first time, Merlin had his own weapon to hunt with. Most, if not all of the weapons in there were from the time that Arthur, Merlin, Gwen, and Morgana had come to help them drive out the invaders.

They went down by the river and Arthur taught Merlin how to properly hunt. It was fun, proper fun. Merlin was finally able to see the appeal of hunting.

"I got one! I got one!" Merlin said with giddy delight, holding up a dead rabbit by its hind legs.

"Quiet, Merlin! You're gonna scare the rest of the forest away!" Still, Arthur couldn't keep the smile off his face. He jumped forward and tackled Merlin, and they rolled around laughing.

They continued hunting, until Merlin had gotten three rabbits and a couple squirrels and Arthur had achieved some larger game: A deer, and some other assorted creatures. "C'mon Merlin, let's go take a break by the river." He led Merlin around several trees, where a picnic blanket was laid out. By the picnic basket, there was a letter written by Hunith. Arthur stuck it in his pocket and opened up the basket, smiling.

He laid out their feast, chicken and vegetables, a very special meal. It was amazing, yet Merlin found himself worrying. "It must have been hard for her to have gotten all this, I mean-"

"Merlin, shh. I've got it covered."

"Really?"

"Yes. Now eat."

When they had finished, Arthur reached back into the basket and pulled out a little cake. There were a few strawberries on top, and it was covered in whipped cream. Merlin gasped in delight. "No way! How?" He looked at Arthur for answers, who just shrugged.

They enjoyed the delicacy, and by then, the sun was almost set. "We'd better head back." Merlin agreed, and they packed up. Merlin wondered if this was what Kilgarrah meant for him to do. He hoped so, because he liked living this way.

At home, Arthur and Merlin sat in their room, talking. Hunith tapped on the door and came in. "Hey, Merlin. I brought you something." She held out a small brown paper package, tied up with a string.

"Mom, wow, okay." He took it and unwrapped it gently, revealing a little wooden carving of a dragon.

"Your father left it behind. He was such an interesting man." She said softly, stroking Merlin's head. His eyes welled with tears that he tried desperately to hide. "Merlin, what's wrong?" She asked him, confused. He sniffed and smiled, looking up at her.

"Did I ever tell you that I met him?" He asked her, his red rimmed eyes becoming more apparent.

"You met him?!" Hunith's shock was evident in her voice.

"Yeah, not that long ago actually. Gaius told me who he was." Hunith's emotions were so mixed that it was impossible to know what she was thinking. She couldn't get enough of a coherent thought together to form a sentence, so Arthur spoke first.

"While you were… with me?" Despite his smile, a few tears streamed down Merlin's cheeks as he nodded. Arthur came closer. Sure, he knew Merlin could have his feminine side, but he would never cry like _this _without good reason. "Merlin…" He spoke gently, as if he were talking to a child. "What happened?" He set a hand on his friend's shoulder as Merlin tried to look away. He felt ashamed, not being able to stop his tears. He remembered how Arthur had told him that no man was worth his tears. He tried not to keep crying, he really did, but, holding the little wooden carving in his hand, all the pain came back.

"I'm sorry." That was the only thing he could say, until he took another breath to compose himself. He wiped his eyes, apologizing over and over. "I'm sorry."

"How is he?" Hunith asked tentatively, afraid of what the answer might be, with Merlin's reaction to simply thinking about him.

"He-He's dead, Mom. I'm sorry, I couldn't… I couldn't save him." Hunith, readjusted so that she was on the floor with her son. She shook her head gently, her eyes filling with tears. She sighed.

"Wow… were you, were you with him?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I was. He was great, Mom."

Arthur was still trying to get onto the same page. "Merlin, when did you meet him?" Merlin smiled.

"You met him too."

"I did? And you didn't tell me? How did I not know?" Merlin smiled, nodded at his mother, and looked back at Arthur. He held the little dragon in front of him. If he was ever going to tell Arthur the truth, it would have to be slowly anyways. Might as well start now.

"Balinor." Arthur's eyes lit up in realization. His breath caught, and as Merlin saw him begin to understand, he sighed.

"Okay, wow, okay. Gods Merlin, I'm sorry. I was so horrible to you… I told you not to cry for him. He was your dad?" Merlin nodded. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Balinor was a dragonlord. That's way too close to magic for your father to accept. Uther drove my dad out of Ealdor before I was born. If he knew I was his son, he might have had me killed under mere suspicion." Arthur nodded solemnly.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that on your own."

"I wasn't all on my own. You were there, in your own way, and I had Gaius. It wasn't your fault, Arthur." They both turned to Hunith, who was staring blankly with tears flowing down her cheeks. She snapped out of it, realizing they were looking at her.

"He was a good man. A great man." She said, remembering those wonderful days they spent together. "How?" She asked, turning to Merlin.

"We were going back to Camelot, bandits attacked us. He jumped in front, he took the blow, he saved my life. The wound was fatal, and I held him as he… went." Hunith nodded, taking in the information. She cupped Merlin's cheek and kissed the top of his head.

"I'm sorry it happened that way." She whispered.

"It's alright," Merlin assured her, "it was wonderful knowing him. He was a man of honor, and I'm proud to call him my father. I'm glad I got to meet him." Hunith sighed, sitting up and wiping her eyes.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone now." She said, smiling brightly again. "Happy birthday, my boy."

"Thank you so much for this, Mom." He said, holding up the carving. She nodded and walked out the door. As soon as she closed the door behind her, Merlin's face shifted to worry. He stood to go after her when he heard a gentle sob, but then he heard Jonathan's voice.

"Hunith? What is it? Hey, hey, I've got you, is everything okay? Shhh, it's alright." Though he wanted to go and comfort his mother, he knew Jonathan would take care of her. He sat back down with Arthur by the light of the candles in the room.

"You just kept going, after his death. You stood beside me, even when I was such an ignorant fool. Why didn't you just leave me on my own?" Arthur asked.

"Camelot needed to be saved. So, I put away my feelings and did what was best for everyone. When it was all over, I was sad, yeah, but life has to go on. If I didn't live that way, Arthur, then I would have drowned. I would have snapped, and I would probably be long dead by now."

"I never knew you were so deep, Merlin."

"Yeah, well, people can surprise you." They sat in silence for a little while until Merlin spoke again. "Would you say we're friends Arthur?"

"Of course."

"If you had a secret, a really, really, deep, dark, secret, and you were afraid that I'd be mad if I found out, would you ever tell me?"

"That's really vague, Merlin."

"Well, let's say, you've kept this secret your whole life. People get angry when they find out, but it's not really your fault, it's not like you could have chosen to not have the secret, because if you could have done that, then you obviously would. But now, you've got yourself so deep into this, this, thing, that you just don't know whether or not it's okay to tell your secret."

"Are you finished?" Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think I quite understand what you're trying to say."

"Arthur, I'm afraid. I'm scared that if I tell you my secret, then you'll regret everything. That you'll regret coming out here to Ealdor with me, giving up your throne. Regret saving my life, and calling me your friend. And I can't live without being your friend, Arthur. That's all I have, and without that, I might as well be dead." Arthur took Merlin's shoulders, gripping them firmly.

"Listen to me. No matter what, I could never regret any of those things. You can tell me anything. I don't care what you've done, Merlin."

"But you might care about what I am." He said. Arthur couldn't understand, but he continued.

"We've been through too much together for me not to trust you with everything. Merlin, even if you were hiding that you were a girl, which, by the way, would not surprise me in the slightest," Merlin made a face at the joke, but continued to listen, "I'd learn to deal with it. Because, after all, you are my friend, my best friend. And nothing, nothing at all, could ever change that." Merlin nodded with a gentle sigh.

"I just really don't think you'd let me off as easily as you hope you will." Merlin's heart was beating so fast he was afraid it might leap out through his throat. He was shaking so badly that it began to scare Arthur.

"Merlin, what are you so scared of?!" He asked desperately.

"You." Merlin finally said, shaking his head. Arthur lifted Merlin's chin so that they're eyes were locked.

"Merlin… I won't hurt you, or leave you, or anything like that. I promise. I could never do anything to you. I don't understand, but I hope that I will. You are my friend, now and forevermore." Merlin's blue eyes blinked slowly and his muscles relaxed.

"I have magic, Arthur."


	12. No More Hiding

"I have magic, Arthur."

The words were out before Merlin could stop himself. Suddenly, a surge of panic bubbled up inside him. "But, please, Arthur, I'm sorry, I-I couldn't, I just… and I-" Arthur's brow furrowed as he processed the information.

"That's impossible." He concluded. Merlin smiled nervously.

"It's true. I'm a sorcerer. I was born with magic."

"Born with it?"

"Yeah, it's been a part of me since the very beginning. It doesn't usually happen that way, but I guess I'm special or something. Some used to say I was blessed, but really, it's more of a curse. Especially having to hide it from you, that's the worst part."

"All these years, you've had it?"

"When your father made me your manservant, I was terrified. How was I supposed to keep my secret safe right within the walls of the castle? I couldn't tell you, had your father found out, I would have been burned at the stake."

"You? A sorcerer? Is this some sort of joke, Merlin?" Arthur asked, not able to grasp the idea. Merlin, thankful that Arthur hadn't had some sort of outburst so far, held out his palm to the candle, making the flame take the shape of a dragon flapping its wings. Arthur's breath quickened with his heart rate. He couldn't process everything he was feeling. Finally, he let out a gentle chuckle. The chuckle grew into a full, hearty laugh, and Arthur's eyes grew wet with his forced tears. Merlin was bewildered, and when the laughs finally died down, he ventured to speak.

"Arthur?" The former prince looked at his friend and wrapped his arms around him in a bear-hug, then rubbing his knuckles on his head.

"I knew you couldn't have done so well in that fight." He said, the hint of a laugh still playing in his voice.

"Wha-What?" Merlin's voice still shook with nervous terror.

"The first day we met. Before my father appointed you as my servant. We fought, remember? With the maces. You nearly beat me. But, you used magic, didn't you?" Just thinking about it made Arthur let out another laugh. "You clever idiot…" Merlin had prepared himself for every possible outcome of revealing his secret, every single one. However, this had never even crossed his mind.

"Aren't you… angry?"

"Of course I am. You've hid this from me for many years, Merlin, of course I'm angry. But, I don't think you would have hidden it if you didn't have to. And, I mean, what do I know? Everything else my father said was wrong… But, magic? Really Merlin?"

"If I could have chosen to be born normal, become your manservant and just be with you, not having to spend every single day hiding, you can bet I would have done it in a heartbeat. But that's not how life works, Arthur. That's not how magic works. Either you are chosen, or you're not. That's it. But, I only wanted to help you. I never, ever, thought of hurting anyone. I wanted to use my magic for good. And I did, Arthur. I did."

"I believe you, Merlin. Besides, you're still that goofy incompetent manservant I've always known. Except now, you're a goofy incompetent sorcerer. And, yes, it's weird, but I want to learn about you, Merlin. I'll admit, I feel betrayed. How close were we really, Merlin?"

"I know I could have told you after we left Camelot. But, I cared so much about what you would think of me. I have lived in absolute fear of this moment, but now that it's here, I can't see why I waited so long."

"No, I think it's alright, Merlin. Before now, I don't know if I would have been ready."

"Thank you, Arthur. Really. You have no idea how much this means."

"You don't have to hide anymore, Merlin." At those words, those words he had begun to think he would never have the privilege of hearing, immense relief flooded Merlin. His eyes welled up with tears and he took a deep breath.

"I can't believe it…" The warlock said, shaking his head and smiling. Arthur put his hand on Merlin's shoulder, then pulled him into a hug. Merlin was able to force the tears back. "Thank you so much."

As much as Arthur wanted to be angry, to shout at Merlin for deceiving him for so long, he just couldn't. If he himself had been in Merlin's situation, could he have done any different? He was born with magic, how could he have controlled any of that? It was okay, he decided. It was a strange concept to grasp, thinking about how Merlin could have magic all that time and never once slip up and reveal himself.

He released Merlin, and they simply sat, quiet in the darkness. Arthur had so many questions, but couldn't think of how to word them. Jonathan entered the room. "Your mother is sleeping. I'm going to go, I'll be back tomorrow."

"Thank you, Jonathan."

"Not a problem." He left, and Merlin and Arthur stared at each other in the dim candlelight. In their silence, they heard the muffled sobs of Hunith in her bedroom.

"You should go to her." Arthur said, permitting their conversation to truly come to an end. Merlin nodded and left to comfort his mother. When he returned, Arthur pretended to be asleep, and Merlin laid on his mat, still not quite able to grasp the reality of it all. Had he really just told Arthur he had magic? It was the most at peace he had been in a long time, and he accepted it.

Weeks passed, and back in Camelot, Gaius only grew weaker. Breathing became a task for the old man, fever took its firm hold on him. Gwen left him for a short time while he was sleeping so that she could go speak to Uther. She approached him in the throne room, quickly dropping into a deep curtsy. "What news of Gaius?" He asked her. His friend had been bedridden for several weeks, and Gwen always kept him informed of his condition.

"Sire, it's almost time. He'll be going soon." She said darkly. Uther's face fell, and he dismissed everyone in the room. He pushed himself out of his chair and walked with the servant girl back to Gaius's chambers. Upon opening the door, Uther could see that Gwenivere was right. His face had the shadow of death upon it.

Uther sat in his chair beside the bed, taking Gaius's hand. The ill man stirred, slowly opening his eyes. "Hello, Sire."

"Hello, Gaius. Is there anything you need? Anything at all?" Gaius smiled and shook his head.

"No."

"There must be something you want."

"Yes. But what I want, you cannot give."

"Say the word, and I will find it for you. What is it that you desire?"

"I wish for nothing more than to see my boy again. And I shall, very soon." Uther sighed, guilt bubbling within him for being the reason his dying friend could not have his final wish.


	13. Thanks for Everything

**Hey everybody! I really appreciate all of the feedback! Anyways, sorry this chapter is kind of late, I took the weekend off to sleep. Sorry! So anyways, here's the next chapter!**

"Woah! That's incredible! Do it again!" Arthur said, awestruck as Merlin sped up the growth of a flower, making it wither, then restoring it to its prime.

"Here, I want to show you something else. Lay down."

"What?"

"Just do it." When they were both on their backs on the blanket, Merlin stretched his palm to the clouds in the sky. He made the shape of a horse, then a rider. He made the rider mount the horse, then with a flick of his palm, he rode away. Arthur smiled wide.

"Wow. Can you make something else?" Merlin did it again, this time, making a butterfly flapping its wings.

"This is amazing, Merlin. Truly amazing." Arthur was deep in thought, and Merlin smiled contently. He'd been showing Arthur what he could do for a short while now, and it always satisfied him when Arthur was pleased. It made him feel special.

Gaius was slipping away quickly. Gwen made sure he was comfortable, and Uther sat with him. "Please don't go." Gwen pleaded. "I need you."

"You don't need an old man like me."

"Yes, yes I do."

"No. Gwen, you have been like a daughter to me. Thank you for that, my dear. You are a beautiful young woman, you have a good life ahead of you."

"You know as well I do, there is no life for me." He struggled to reach forward and take her hand.

"I'm so sorry. But you can be happy, Gwen."

"What do I have to be happy for?"

"Your future. It's still there Gwen, I know it's hard to see. You're going to be okay." Gwen cried, squeezing his hand tighter.

"I'm sorry, Gaius." She cried.

"No, no, my child. Do not weep for me. I'll be with the boys soon. All will be well. I'm going to see my boys."

"Gaius, you've done more than I could have ever asked of you. Thank you for that, for everything." Uther said. Gaius nodded, a weak cough escaping his lips.

"You are a strong king, Uther." Gaius said. The old physician had rarely used the king's name in such an informal way. They were friends, when it came down to it, despite all the things Uther had done. As Gaius's life was fading, he had learned what it meant to forgive. Forgiving someone didn't mean you have to accept what they've done. It doesn't mean you have to forget. But as Gaius looked at Uther, feeling the pain of loss so deep within himself that it goes beyond what others see, he didn't hate him. He hated what he did, what he had intended to do. He hated that his child was dead, that the prince was dead. But, the hatred wasn't harbored for Uther himself. "You need to remember who you are. Who you were. The man who first took the throne all those years ago. The man who was slow to take a life and quick to save one. I like that man, I always have. And I know he's in you somewhere."

Uther nodded, eyes becoming wet with tears. "You were the only man who stayed by me from the very beginning to the very end. And for that, I could never be more grateful. You can rest now, Gaius. You've lived an honest life, and have given much more to this world than you've taken. It's a job well done, my friend."

"Thank you, Sire." Gaius sighed, relaxing. He didn't have to hang on anymore. Within minutes, his breaths began to grow shorter and father apart. Gwen sobbed, holding tightly to him, as if that alone would keep him alive.

"Goodbye, Gaius." Her voice was high pitched and tight. He smiled at her, as much comfort as he could offer. With one last breath, he squeezed her hand, and let himself sleep. A final tear slipped from his eye and made its way down his wrinkled cheek. Gwen let out a wailing sob and threw herself over his body, grasping his shoulders. A few tears found their way from Uther's eyes. Gaius had been his best friend for as long as he could remember. When Gwenivere pulled back, he reached forward and closed his eyes.

He looked as if he were made of stone. His face, delicately graced with lines from the good days, the bad ones, from every experience he'd ever had. He was there, and then he wasn't. She hoped, prayed even, that he was being welcomed into the arms of Merlin, holding him tightly while Arthur patted him on the shoulder. That everything was finally okay. That everyone was safe and happy and free… except for her.

Uther lifted Gaius's limp hand to his mouth and kissed it. He stood and left the room as Gwen covered him with a sheet. He pinched the bridge of his nose to stop any more tears that tried to surface. He went to his bedroom and forced everyone to stay out, even Morgana. He made arrangements for Gaius's burial and had a few servants carry some honorary perfumes and incense to his chambers, where the body was laid.

Gwen stayed in the room as people brought in symbolic gifts and gave her their condolences by candlelight. She felt numb, not having any more tears to shed. She gripped his lifeless hand in hers, and nodded to the other mourners when it was appropriate. Despite not being related to Gaius, everyone knew she had been closest to him after the boy Merlin was gone, so no one objected to her being the one to stay by him during the ceremony.

They would come at the first light of dawn and take the body to be buried. Around three in the morning, a few men came in carrying an empty casket. They moved a table to the center of the room, placing the wooden box on top of it. Then, they came to the bed, taking the edges of the sheet Gaius laid on and lifting the body and taking it to the casket, laying it carefully inside. They stayed a bit longer, helping Gwenivere move all of the gifts and flowers to be beside him. As they left, she began tenderly placing flowers one by one around and on him in the casket. A fresh wave of tears emerged, and she sobbed over him once again.

Morning came. They secured the lid of the casket on, and Gwen placed a large bouquet of flowers on top. The hole in the ground was already prepared, in a courtyard just outside the castle, rather than the cemetery. Uther wanted Gaius to be remembered. A cross was in place, a deep mahogany carved with beautiful markings.

Everyone who knew Gaius followed the casket to the burial ground, where it was lowered. Uther came from his room and stood beside the cross. Morgana came and stood beside him, Gwen beside her. Morgana managed to look sorrowful, despite being practically giddy with delight. She was heir to Camelot, after all, and the final pest that stood in her way had kicked the bucket.

Uther said something short, and they started filling the hole with dirt. As everyone walked away, Gwen tossed in one last parting gift, a red neckerchief that once belonged to a loyal friend. "Thanks for everything, Gaius." She said softly before leaving.


	14. The Power of Words

Gwen didn't know of any family members to contact, Gaius never had children of his own, and any siblings he had were long gone. But, there was Hunith. She knew that they had grown up together, that Hunith had known Gaius well enough to trust him to take care of her only son. She knew how to write, but she didn't have any ink or parchment, let alone money to buy them. She knew where she could get some, but it would be so painful to go in there after…

She made her way up the stairs of the castle, her feet taking her down the familiar route without even having to think about it. Uther had locked the room, but Gwen had swiped the key and made another, replacing it before the king could notice. There were advantages to being a blacksmith's daughter. She had the key around her neck on a string, more of a keepsake than anything, but now she needed to use it. She kept telling herself that she was only going in to get what she needed to write a letter, but she knew that wasn't true. In the darkness of this moment, she wanted to feel him again.

She pulled the key over her head and turned the lock. Pushing the door open, she had to close her eyes to avoid fainting. She felt him here, his presence. It was as if he was there, walking with her. She could see him standing at his table, or sitting on his bed, or pacing the floor like he did when he was stressed. She stood in the spot where he had held her the day after her father's death.

Her eyes welled with tears. "Arthur." She collapsed to the wooden floor, burying her face in her hands. "I need you here, Arthur." Her voice was squeaky and high-pitched in her tears. It was hard to tell how much time she'd spent there, but eventually, she picked herself up and remembered what she'd come for. She grabbed a sheet of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a feather to write with.

Back in her own home, she sat at her table and wrote a letter to Hunith, unable to complete it without crying. When she finally was finished, she took it out to the mail carrier on the outskirts of town, handing him a gold coin to pay for the trip before slowly walking back home.

The boys had an entire week off, a reward after working for six months. They weren't going to waste it. Merlin was stronger now than he'd ever been, and was able to wrestle Arthur for a significant amount of time before the former prince got the better of him. Arthur had even begun to teach Merlin how to use a sword, despite Merlin having all the protection he needed with his magic. Arthur insisted that if the situation ever arose where Merlin was in a public area where using his powers was not an option, he needed to know how to fight "like a man."

They had been fencing when the mail carrier come into the village. "Is there a 'Hunith' here? Anyone named 'Hunith'?" He said loudly. Merlin stepped forward.

"That's my mother. She's out with a friend now and won't be back for a while, but I can take that for her."

"Alright, here ya' go." Merlin tossed it aside and continued to fence Arthur. Whatever had come for his mother had nothing to do with him, he'd just pass it along later. Right now, she was having a picnic with Jonathan. He was a nice man.

Arthur knocked Merlin to his knees, holding the dull sword towards him, a foot on his chest. Merlin smirked, and with a flick of his wrist and a short incantation, the sword flew out of Arthur's hands. Arthur recognized the golden glow of magic in his eyes, but it was too late to react before Merlin tackled Arthur, and they began to wrestle. "That's cheating! I had you!"

"Yeah, you did. Then I cheated." Arthur rolled and took Merlin down easily. It was nearing lunch time, so they agreed to finish for the moment. Merlin picked up his mother's letter and turned it in his hands. Curious, Arthur looked over his shoulder. His brow furrowed.

"Let me see that." He said, and Merlin handed it over. "This is from Camelot. This paper could only be used by royals. I dealt with it every day. But yes, it is very specific to Camelot castle. Why would your mother be getting a letter from Camelot? Do you think they know we're here?"

"Maybe it's from Gaius?"

"Any letter of his would have been intercepted. We would have been greeted by knights, the message would not have made it. I have no idea what this could be."

"My mother won't mind if we open it. Let's get inside, though." They went into the little house, sitting at the table. Merlin pulled open the wax seal and unfolded the letter. "It's from Gwen!" He exclaimed. Arthur pulled the letter swiftly out of his hands. "Hey!" His eyes began to scan the page, and his excitement quickly dispersed. His breath caught in his chest as his eyes scanned the last of the page. He let his fingers release the page, pinching the bridge of his nose as he walked back, leaning against the stove. "What is it? What's wrong?" Merlin asked, bending down to pick up the paper. Arthur turned his head, squeezing his eyes shut tight to try and stop the tears. Despite his efforts, a few tears managed to squeeze through.

Arthur took a breath and wiped his eyes quickly, looking to Merlin. The former manservant was reading the paper. The words read:

_Hunith,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. You might remember me, I am Gwen, the handmaiden to Morgana Pendragon and the blacksmith's daughter. I came with my lady, Prince Arthur, and your son Merlin a while ago to help with defending your village. Well, I am aware you are very close with Gaius, the court physician. I assume you are aware of Merlin's fate, and I am very, very sorry. Gaius wished he could ride to Ealdor to see you afterwards, he mentioned it often. I regret that I had to stop him, he was far too weak to survive such a journey. Ever since the deaths of the prince and Merlin, he was sick with heartache. You know he is old, and without them, I suppose he was just ready to rest. I regret to tell you that he passed during the night, and has been buried this morning. I was with him, as was the king. He was tired, very tired, and I believe it was best for him to go. He was suffering, we all are, with the boys gone. As Gaius did say, it is truly a darker world without them. But he was able to escape. His death was… awful, yes, but I think it was best for him. If you had seen him, you'd agree. He was empty without those boys. But now, they can all be together. Anyways, Hunith, I thought you should know. I am so sorry for your losses, I wish you nothing but the best._

_Signed, Gwenivere._

"Merlin-" Arthur began. Merlin shook his head, biting his bottom lip. He trembled, his breaths quickening.

"No. It's not true, there must be some mistake." Arthur sighed, setting a gentle hand on Merlin's shoulder to comfort him. "No!" He began to struggle, and Arthur took his hands and firmly grasped his friend's shoulder.

"Merlin! Listen to me. I know it hurts. I don't expect you to keep it together. I don't. But that's Gwen's handwriting, and she wouldn't lie."

"He can't be… He can't be gone, Arthur." Merlin looked up at him, his eyes welling with fat tears. The former manservant forced them back. "No. He's not. He can't be."

"He was old. Merlin, we all knew it would happen eventually."

"I… I have to see it for myself. I have to."

"What are you suggesting?"

"It's a three day's leisurely journey to Camelot. I can make it in two if I travel lightly and swiftly-"

"You can't go back there!"

"I have to!" Arthur sighed, taking the letter from Merlin.

"They all think we're dead…" Arthur said solemnly. "Gaius thought we didn't make it."

"He's not-He's not dead. There's been a mistake." Arthur pitied him, and didn't blame him for denying it.

"Then let's go check." Arthur said calmly.

"No, no, you can't come. You'll be caught!"

"And you think I'm going to let you go on your own?"

"Arthur, I can't let you do this."

"And I can't let you do this alone."


	15. Heading Home

They packed their bags with food and supplies, and Merlin wrote a note to leave his mother. They would not wait for her to return, because they knew she wouldn't let them go. They had no horse to take, so as soon as they were ready they set off. The path brought Merlin into remembering those hours he had spent those months ago, carrying a dying Arthur and running, powered by the hope that once they reached Ealdor, all would be well. He remembered the feeling of Arthur's warm, thick blood dripping down onto his shoulders, and forcing himself to believe that it wasn't that much, that his friend would be okay. Arthur spoke.

"Merlin, how far did you carry me that night?" Merlin shrugged. It had been several miles at least, but he had been assisted by magic and powered by adrenaline. They walked for at least a couple of hours, and Arthur still didn't see the place where they'd been attacked. Merlin had been silent the majority of the time, eyes surveying the area that had been the setting for his worst nightmare.

"Merlin, did you really run this far on your own?"

"Well, yeah, I guess so." He had blanked out during much of the time he'd been running to Ealdor, his body doing the work for him. He supposed it would have been an effect of the shock that had been settling upon him during that night, the worst night of his life. They lapsed back into silence as they kept walking. Finally, by the time the sun had begun to set, they found themselves by the familiar clearing where they had been ambushed. Arthur absentmindedly reached up and brushed his fingers over the area where the deep scar still remained, very apparent.

"Arthur." Merlin said, realizing what had happened.

"Let's keep moving." Merlin nodded and they passed the area. They could only walk a short while longer before it was dark. It had already been midday when they left Ealdor, so they had no choice but to stop where they were.

"I'll start a fire." Arthur nodded at him.

"I'll help you get wood." They gathered a bit before piling it, and Merlin simply held up his palm to the branches.

"Byrne." There was no reason for them to put in the effort if it could be this easy. Arthur smiled, shaking his head.

"It still amazes me, every time." Merlin handed him a piece of bread and took one for himself. "This is a very different trip than last time, isn't it?"

"I suppose so." He replied, nodding.

"I like this one more." That got a slight chuckle from Merlin, though it brought on a very dark feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Yeah." He sighed. "This one is…" He stopped for a moment, nodding and smiling, "much better." Arthur's face grew somber as he watched his friend.

"Hey." He drew his attention, which by looking at him, Merlin could tell things were about to get serious. He took a seat on the forest floor and looked at Arthur, who continued to speak. "What happened?"

"When?"

"You know when." Merlin sighed.

"Right. Well, you were hit with the arrow, you know that much." Arthur rubbed at his scar, hidden beneath his worn out shirt.

"Yeah. That was… unpleasant."

"I picked you up, I ran. You fell unconscious along the way. I just kept running, I couldn't think of anything else. After I couldn't run anymore, I found a cave. Oh, it was a miracle that the cave was there. You were fading fast, Arthur…" The warlock trailed off.

"It wasn't medicine that saved me, was it Merlin?" He shook his head, and Arthur nodded.

"Well, at first, I didn't know how. All I could do was force your torn heart to keep beating. It was a good thing you were unconscious, because it would've been excruciating. And once I was sure you'd live for at least the time being, I fell asleep. As soon as I woke up, I picked you back up and started running again. There was… a lot of blood. A lot. I made it to Ealdor, went to my mother's house. I still didn't know what to do, you were dying. There's only so far you can push a wounded heart, only so much blood a person can lose. It was bad, Arthur. Really bad. I mean, your heart literally ripped open. I-I can't even tell you, it seemed like-" Merlin began to shake, and Arthur approached him to sit closer. He put a hand on his shoulder, and Merlin nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "Okay, okay. Well, it just so happened my mom had been saving spells since I was born. We dug through them, all the while you were dying. I could hear you… Anyways, I found a spell, I used it. Story over, the end."

"Wow."

"Yeah." Arthur searched for words, but could find none worthy enough for Merlin, such a loyal companion.

"Merlin," The boy looked up at him, "thank you." Merlin smiled, shaking his head once more.

"Anyone would have done it."

"No, they wouldn't have. Thank you, Merlin, really. From the bottom of my heart."

Merlin couldn't quite believe it. After all this time, all this hiding, everything was okay between him and Arthur. "You're welcome."

"Do you really think he's dead?" Merlin asked after they had been sitting quietly for a while. Arthur immediately knew who he was referring to.

"Merlin, I-" Arthur sighed, not quite sure of how to continue. "Honestly, Merlin, I just don't know. I want to believe he's alive, I really do. But we have to be ready for anything."

"Right, right. Of course. But I believe he's alive, he has to be. He's Gaius."

"Yeah." Arthur replied, pitying his friend. They both settled on the ground facing the fire. "Goodnight, Merlin."

"Goodnight, Arthur."

The next morning, they got moving right away. They ate breakfast as they walked. They wanted to get in and out of Camelot as quickly as possible, without being detected. It wasn't long before the Camelot castle was visible, and both of them became very anxious.

They walked the entire day, and set up camp once again. They hadn't spoken since they'd seen the castle. "So," Arthur finally said, tossing Merlin a piece of bread, "how are we going to do this?"

"I dunno." He said quietly.

"We have to plan, Merlin. We'll be killed if we don't know exactly what we're doing." The warlock looked up, a sad smirk on his face.

"No, we won't be killed." Arthur sighed exasperatedly.

"You can't use magic. They'll execute you."

"No, Arthur, they won't. They can't. Trust me."

"Please, let's just make a plan so that no one has to get hurt. We can just get into the city, find Gwenivere, and see what's happened. Then we can go home." Merlin nodded.

"Ok. How should we enter the city?" And from there, Merlin allowed Arthur to take over, listening to his battle-like strategy of getting into and out of Camelot unnoticed. Then, once they were both sure of what was going to happen, Merlin kept guard while Arthur took the first sleeping shift.

**Author's Note: I love all of you guys so much! Thanks for reading this far, you are officially awesome! I'll try to update soon! **


	16. What Cannot Be Altered

They started moving again as soon as they could see. The forest around them became painfully familiar, remembering all the days they had gone off on adventures to save Camelot. Knowing they were so close, they pulled out their cloaks and donned them. They covered their faces with mud steaks. "Ready?" Merlin asked him, and Arthur nodded. "I should do it instead-" But it was too late, the former prince had already taken his small dagger and sliced a cut into his calf. Not too deep, but deep enough to bleed through his pant leg.

They got right before the city gates, and Merlin handed him some berries he'd picked earlier. Arthur didn't understand why. "They'll make your throat really scratchy and your voice will sound different until we get water."

"Oh. Right, here, give me some." They both ate the berries, and as soon as they were certain they'd had the desired effect, they continued to the guards at the gate. Arthur's arm was slung over Merlin's, and he over-dramatically limped.

"Please, do you have a physician? He fell and was injured." He said to the guard, making sure he couldn't see either of their faces in entirety. The guard looked to his counterparts and nodded at them to take over, then started walking in through the gates. "Follow me."

Keeping their faces hidden by their cloaks, they began the walk to where Merlin realized was Gaius's chambers. A surge of hope welled within him as they continued. The stairs were quite a task with Arthur pretending to be terribly wounded. Finally, they reached the chambers. Merlin's heart was beating so fast he was afraid it might leap out of his chest. The guard opened the door and began to speak. "Sorry, it is a woman, but she is well-taught and will give you the help you need." And with that, the guard left.

A woman stood alone in the room, her back to them. She was grinding herbs with a mortar and pestle. From behind, it was obvious who she was, but both of them were frozen in shock. She turned to them, but their faces were still hidden by their cloaks. "Alright then, sit here." She gestured to a chair beside one of the tables. Merlin brought Arthur over and sat him down. No one spoke. The only sound was of Gwen taking from the shelves what she needed.

Merlin looked around, desperately hoping for some sign of Gaius. His bed was still there, that had to mean something. Arthur's breath quickened at the sight of his love. She wasn't what she used to be, she was tired, hollow. She'd lost everything she'd ever had. Her fingers were steady and well-practiced. "Well, it doesn't look too bad, you got off lucky it seems. It will need to be cleaned, and I'll bandage it up, but then you should be fine. Have some water, you've lost a fair amount of blood." She handed him a canteen, which he took a swig of then handed to Merlin, who did the same.

Gwen kneeled and tore away part of the already-ripped pant leg so that she could treat it. Arthur and Merlin were still too engrossed in the shock of the moment to speak. It wasn't long before Gwen had his wound cleaned and was wrapping a bandage around it. Arthur was staring down intensely at her, his body shaking and his mind rushing with so many thoughts he thought he might explode. Gwen looked up at him when she felt him shaking, worried he might be going into shock. But when she looked up, her heart leapt at the flash of those bright blue eyes that she had only dreamed of seeing again.

Her breath caught in her chest, and she froze, eyes locked with the one who she'd given her heart to. "Gwenivere." He choked out. She began to tremble, eyes wide in realization. She whipped her head around to look at Merlin, who had just pulled down the hood of his cloak to his shoulders. He smiled at her gently, and she turned back to Arthur, dropping the bandage roll and reaching out lay a hand on Arthur's chest. She had to be sure it was real. Sure enough, she felt the gentle beat of his heart beneath her palm.

Fat tears sprung from her eyes, and Arthur stood. She did the same, wrapping her arms around his waist, as he returned the embrace. She sobbed in his arms for what seemed like an eternity.

She was the one to pull away. "They said you were dead, both of you. They found blood, a lot of blood, they said it belonged to the prince. I thought you were dead…" She began sobbing again at the last sentence, and Arthur rubbed her shoulder.

"We're here." He said gently. She nodded, walking to Merlin to embrace him as well. They all sat and talked.

"And you have been living in Ealdor?" The boys nodded in unison, and Gwen lowered her head in another sob. She looked up, covering her mouth to stifle the next. "I told him not to go. I made him stay. He wanted to go." She shook her head in disbelief. "He wanted to see Hunith, he even prepared his horse for the journey one day, but he couldn't get on. He was… He was too weak. I should've-I should've taken him. I should have taken him!" She sobbed again. Merlin bit his lip.

"Gwen? Is Gaius… Is he dead?" Gwen looked up at him, realizing what was happening.

"Oh, Merlin. I'm so sorry."

"No." The warlock was still in disbelief. "No…" His voice cracked the second time. "That can't be true."

"His heart was broken, Merlin. At his age, he had nothing left to hold on to."

"No. That's not… No."

"Merlin…" Gwen said, voice covered in sympathy. Arthur sighed, looking to Merlin. He had been putting off the emotions for so long now, the denial was all he'd had to hold on to. He'd forced himself to have hope, and now that hope was crushed, dissolved to nothing.

"What did he say? When he… before he-" Merlin cleared his throat, trying not to cry, a small trace of the denial still lingering.

"He said everything was going to be okay. That he was going to be with you both soon. He spoke to Uther, and Uther was kind to him. He thanked the king, and I said goodbye, and then he just, well, he went." Gwen's voice shook and was hoarse with tears. "I'm sorry, Merlin."

The warlock's eyes were wet with tears that hadn't yet fallen. "It's okay, Merlin." Arthur assured him.

"No. No no no no, no. No."

"Merlin?" Gwen tentatively moved closer. Merlin stood, shaking his head.

"No. You're wrong."

"I was there, Merlin, I watched him-"

"No. There's been a mistake." Arthur was going to object when Gwen stopped him with a quick gaze. She stood and moved to put her hands on Merlin's shoulder, whose head was hung low. "No… no." His voice was tight as he shook his head.

"Okay, okay. What do you want us to do, Merlin?" There was a brief silence as Merlin thought.

"Where is he buried?" The words made his heart sink as they left his lips.

"The grassy courtyard beside the castle, with the flowers. It's beautiful, it really is. I think he would have appreciated it very much." She replied gently. Merlin nodded slowly, then bolted from the room. His cloak fell behind him.

Arthur jumped up, face utterly horrified. "Merlin, no!" He ran after his friend, but took extra care to make sure his cloak was pulled over his face. People were more likely to recognize him than Merlin.


	17. The Point of No Return

**The end of this story is drawing near! It has really become a part of me, and I appreciate everyone who has stuck with this story. There will still be a few more chapters at least, so read on, my fellow Merlinians!**

The time spent in Ealdor had not only made Merlin stronger, but faster too. He had already put a wide distance between himself and the chamber door. "Stop! Think about this!" Arthur pleaded. "Stick to the plan, please!" But his words fell on deaf ears as Merlin darted down the stairs, and soon enough, out of the castle.

A few people gave him questioning gazes as he roughly pushed past them. He couldn't believe it until he saw it. He needed to see it. He approached the courtyard that was surrounded with a low black iron fence, with varying colors and types of flowers all around. Directly ahead of him was the cross marking his grave, and a plaque that read:

HERE LIES GAIUS OF CAMELOT, BELOVED PHYSICIAN

FRIEND TO ALL AND FATHER TO ONE

YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED IN OUR HEARTS

Merlin stood at the entrance to the gate for a moment, the tears that he had been so unwilling to shed finally spilling over as he cried out. His knees began to give out as he stumbled to the cross, falling right over the grave. He wrapped his arms around the short wooden monument and let out a cry that startled anyone who was near.

The sound itself echoed deep within Arthur's chest, making him feel lost and hopeless and empty. Merlin clutched at the cross with everything he had, his body heaving with heart wrenching sobs and cries. "NO!" Arthur didn't know what to do, what could he do? He fell to his knees just within the entrance and watched Merlin fall apart.

"GAIUS!" In his pain, he'd let his emotions have free reign. A dark storm cloud swirled into existence directly above him, and a torrential rain began to pour down on them. It spread from there over all of the city, and a previously sunny, cloudless day became cold, dark and wet.

Merlin remained there, sobbing, shouting, clutching at the grave marker, and Arthur was frozen in his place on his knees, knowing that he could not offer his friend what he needed. Because right now, Merlin needed Gaius to hold him, like Arthur knew he did whenever Merlin was hurting and Arthur couldn't understand. Gaius was really the only one with Merlin the entire time, who knew the truth about everything. Arthur could picture him holding Merlin close after the loss of Freya, and of Balinor.

The courtyard was visible from the king's bedroom, and he knew sorcery when he saw it. He ordered guards to bring the two men to the throne room to be tried.

Before they were aware of what was happening, the boys found themselves surrounded. A couple pairs of arms grasped Arthur's forearms, making him jump. Just after, a few guards seized Merlin, who was struggling violently through his sobs. He screamed and kicked and turned. It was a very unpleasant situation, made even worse by the now cloudy, thundering, rainstorm that had been torrentially pouring onto the city.

Merlin couldn't center his magic, couldn't pinpoint it enough to make a direct attack. Bursts of magic left his body as he struggled, just enough to make them drop him once, but before he could scramble away, they had him again. He fought with all his might, but with his emotions so intense he had no control over his powers.

They were dragged up to the throne room, where they were thrown to their knees before Uther, hands tied behind their backs. Both had their heads hung low, but Arthur's cloak was down on his shoulders. Merlin was sobbing quietly now, when a guard smacked him on the back of the head. "Quit your sniveling!"

"It's okay." Arthur said, trying to offer his friend some comfort. Uther looked down from his throne at the two soaked, muddy men before him as the guards explained that they were not citizens of Camelot.

"This magic is powerful, I have never seen anything like it." Uther said. "Magic is very strictly banned in this kingdom, and by the laws of Camelot, I sentence you to death. But do tell, why do you bring such a storm upon us? What are you trying to gain?"

"If you will approach, then perhaps we can converse like men." Arthur answered defiantly. The king, being curious, stood slowly.

"You speak as if you know me. What right do you have to address a king with such informality?" Arthur shifted so that he had one knee propped up, and the action made the guards grip his shoulders tightly to make sure he stayed down. "No, it's alright, let him stand. Tell me, who are you? What has Camelot done to you strangers?"

"Perhaps," Arthur began, "if one were to look a little closer, one would realize," he lifted his head for the first time and looked his father in the face, "that we aren't truly strangers after all." Uther's face betrayed his shock, then his rage as he looked down at the second man with the tear-stained face. "Hello, father." Arthur said with confidence.

"You!" He took a swift couple of steps towards Merlin and lifted him to his feet by his collar. Uther slammed him against the palace wall.

"Laxo!" Merlin shouted, and the ropes fell off his and Arthur's wrists. Arthur roughly grabbed his father's shoulder and pushed him away from Merlin. The guards were upon them in a moment, restraining both of the boys quickly.

"Arthur, you don't know what you're doing! Conspiring with this, this sorcerer! You know better, my son! Can't you see? You're blinded from the truth by his spell!"

"No, I'm not. You are the one who is blind! You let your fear turn to hatred and you are wrong!"

"Bring me the sorcerer." Uther ordered, ignoring his son. The guards complied.

"You're making a bad choice, Father." Arthur warned, watching Merlin closely as he calmly walked with the guards holding tight to his arms. It was a huge change from the outburst of emotion he'd had barely ten minutes before. He looked Uther directly in the eyes, not an ounce of uncertainty in his gaze.

Arthur watched them both carefully, muscles tense. His jaw began to ache because it was clenched so tight. For a second stretched into an eternity, everything was still. Even the sound of the raindrops against the palace seemed distant.

In a swift motion, Merlin swooped down and caught the guards unaware. He wriggled from their grip and got a solid few feet away, and when they tried to restrain him again, he held out his palms to both of them, whispering "Swefe nu." They fell asleep instantly, and Uther was outraged.

"They aren't dead." Merlin told the king. "Just sleeping." Uther drew his sword and charged Merlin, who ran to the doors of the throne room and pushed them open. There were a few guards outside, who looked absolutely perplexed to see Merlin. He sighed, whispered the sleeping incantation again, and continued to run up the stairs.

Uther was weighted down by his armor, not to mention he was getting on in his years. Merlin easily put a large distance between them. He made it to the roof, where he and Arthur had spent many a time simply talking and looking out over the forest. It was still raining. He lifted his chin and shouted. "O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anakes!" He walked to the edge and looked all around, waiting for Kilgarrah, wishing he would be quicker.

A rough hand turned Merlin to face him, catching the warlock off guard. Before he could react, hands were placed firmly around his neck. He wouldn't kill Uther, how could he? Not only was he the king of Camelot, he was Arthur's father. If he was to die here, so be it. At least he could be with Gaius again. His back was towards the edge now, and they were very close. He felt the stone against his knees. Uther's fingers clasped tighter around his throat.

Merlin locked eyes with Uther, opening his mouth to utter a single word, a name, a cry for help: "Kilgarrah." But there was no sign of the dragon, and blackness began to creep into his vision. He began to allow himself to succumb to the dark, welcoming death like an old friend.

There was the distinct sound of flesh tearing. Merlin refocused his eyes and looked at his killer, whose face was unreadable. The hands loosened around his neck ever so slightly, and Merlin realized that Arthur stood there, behind his father. His hand was still wrapped around the handle of a long dagger, a dagger that had hit its mark directly in Uther's heart.

What happened next was really only a matter of a few short second, but it could have just as well have been a thousand years. Their gaze met, both holding more darkness than they ever hoped they would see. Uther's hands fell slack, releasing Merlin completely.

No one could have seen it coming. If Arthur had known, he would have taken measures to avoid it. With nothing holding Merlin, he began falling backwards. His legs slipped from underneath him and in a terrifying moment he realized he was at the edge of the roof. His arms reached out to Arthur, but it was too late. There was nothing for him to grab on to. The last thing he saw was Arthur's horrified expression before he was face to face with the storm clouds above them.

**Please review, I really really really really do appreciate input!**


	18. Not What You Expected

"MERLIN!" Arthur shouted, rushing to the edge, getting there just a moment too late. Merlin couldn't think, he didn't have time to think, let alone save himself. He was scared, really, really scared. He faintly heard Arthur's voice, but then there was nothing but darkness. A sickening crack echoed up to the prince, and with the sound came a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, something much like, but much worse than dread.

"NO! MERLIN!" Arthur hung over the edge, reaching his arm out even though he knew it was too late. "MERLIN!" Tears began to sting at Arthur's eyes, unnoticeable through the raindrops that still poured heavily onto the kingdom. He could faintly see Merlin, lying still on the ground. Too still. "MERLIN!" His body was twisted awkwardly, and Arthur knew there was no way that was natural. He heard a sound, and turned to see his father, struggling to keep a hold onto life. Arthur let out a strangled yell and fell to his knees, clenching his fists to keep from striking his father. He trembled with grief and anger, standing and turning away from Uther and going to the edge to try and detect any sign of life from Merlin. "Please, Merlin, please… NO!"

He started running towards the door, when he heard the flap of wings. Big wings. He turned to see the Great Dragon flying towards them. He picked up his father's sword, holding it ready. He thought he had killed the beast in their last encounter. However, instead of attacking, like Arthur expected, it flew down to the still form of Merlin, gathering him in its talons.

A lump grew in Arthur's throat as he watched Merlin's limp form being carried away. "MERLIN!" He shouted once more, following the dragon as far as he could until he reached the end of the roof. When they were no longer in sight, Arthur turned back to look at his father, who was in his last moments. The king simply looked up at his son with anger that was beyond anything he'd ever felt. There were a billion words that needed to be said, but Uther couldn't and Arthur wouldn't. And so Uther died in silence, leaving Arthur on his own to piece everything together again.

BBCMERLINBBCMERLINBBCMERLIN BBCMERLINBBCMERLINBBCMERLIN BBCMERLINBBCMERLINBBCMERLIN BBCMERLINBBCMERLINBBCMERLIN

Arthur sat at the lunch table in his bedroom beside Gwen, staring absentmindedly out the window to their left. There was a single knock at the door, then it was pushed open before Arthur had given permission to enter. A breathless looking Sir Gwaine entered, nearly tripping over himself.

"What's wrong, Gwaine?" Arthur asked, concerned. He straightened his back and put his hands against the table, ready to push his chair out. He heard several other sets of footsteps coming up the hall at a fast pace.

"Sire, he's awake." Gwaine said to Arthur.

"What?"

"Merlin, he just woke up." Arthur gasped, surging with excitement. He stood and bolted out of the door, not waiting for Gwaine to say anything else. He rushed down the hallway, nearly running down the rest of his group of elite knights in the process. He went up another flight of stairs before reaching the door he was looking for. When he finally stood in front of it, he realized he had been closely followed by Gwenivere. They looked at each other nervously, neither knowing what to expect. Arthur took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Merlin sat up in his bed, dumbfounded. "Arthur?" His voice was strained from lack of use.

"Merlin." Arthur approached him and wrapped him into a tight hug. He didn't want to let go. By the time he pulled away, a wide grin was plastered onto his face.

"Arthur, what's going on?" Merlin was startled by the entire situation, but even more so when he looked up and saw Gwen in a deep red dress, with jewelry on and her hair done perfectly. When he looked back to Arthur, he realized he looked different too. He didn't have the hard, calloused look the Merlin had become used to seeing, the look of a man who had seen his fair share of work. Instead, he was more well-groomed, and had a gentler look about him.

"I suppose you feel well-rested." Gwen said, smiling softly, yet a hint of solemnity in her voice. Even the way she spoke was different now, like she was more dignified and thought about what she said more. He assessed himself at her words, and realized that, yes, he did feel like he'd just woken up from a satisfying nap.

Gwen wiped away a quick tear that slipped out of her eye, as if that was improper of her. "What's happened?" He asked, quickly becoming uncomfortable with this situation. What was the last thing he could remember? He took a moment to think about it, when suddenly it all came flooding back.

He was struck with the realization, and it made his body jerk. He clenched his fists and held them up, as if trying to protect himself. He remembered that awful moment when he knew it was over. When they say that your life flashes before your eyes, it's true. In those few seconds, Merlin had lived his life. He had played with Will in the fields beside Ealdor, he had kissed his mother goodbye on the cheek as he left for Camelot, he had met Arthur for the first time, and he had found himself in Gaius's comforting arms. Then Arthur's voice pierced through the veil, and all Merlin could picture was those last months, the ones they'd spent together. Then, in a fraction of a painful second, he fell into darkness.

Yes, he remembered it all clearly. His eyes grew wide and his breaths quickened, and he realized Arthur was gripping his shoulders. "Look at me, Merlin." He complied.

"What happened, Arthur?" His voice was small and nervous. He looked up at Gwen. "I don't understand." Arthur sighed, nodding. Gwen put a comforting hand on Merlin's shoulder, sitting on the edge of the bed. Arthur stood at the same time, looking down at Merlin.

"You almost died, Merlin. You fell off the roof, and you should have died. You were laying there, on the ground, and I honestly thought you were dead. How could you not be? But the dragon came, he took you. I didn't know why."

Merlin took in this information. Arthur continued. "I had a mess to clean up. My father was dead. I cleaned up, got dressed properly, and the next morning I went before the council to hold my case. Things went in my favor, thankfully, and I was not charged with murder. I accepted my birthright. Because my father was dead and the people accepted me, I was able to claim the throne." At this, Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Yes, and a couple of days later, the dragon brought you back. I heard wings and ran to the roof. Sure enough, there it was, holding you in its talons. You were still out cold, and it laid you down where I could reach you. It said you had been moments from death when it took you, that there was no way you would have made it. The dragon said that your spinal cord had been snapped and most of your organs had been severely damaged, not to mention countless broken bones. But he did say that he'd used magic to heal you, and that it would take time, but you would have a fair chance."

"But I feel okay…"

"Right." Arthur grew even more tentative, and continued as if he were walking on eggshells. "Well, that's the thing. The dragon left with a few warnings and instructions. You were still unconscious, but he said that until you recovered enough for your body to sustain you, you would sleep. Merlin, you were seconds away from dying, so I mean… it took some time." Merlin began to understand, and his heart started to race. Arthur was nervous himself, despite having gone over this conversation countless times in his head.

"How long?" Merlin finally said.

"Six months, give or take."


	19. How These Things Have Changed

"Wow. That's… that's something." Merlin rubbed his face with his hands.

"Yeah. A lot has happened. Gwen is my wife now." Merlin perked up in surprise.

"That's great! Congratulations!"

"And I have put an end to all raids on the Druid people. There's a long list of things that have changed, but it would take ages to fill you in on everything. You'll figure things out as you go along." Merlin nodded, but it was all very hard to get grasp on. He'd basically lost six months of his life and now everything was different.

"We should give him some time to take this all in." Gwen suggested.

"Yeah. Alright, we'll be back soon. Send for me, or us, if you need anything. Anything at all." The couple left, and Merlin swung his legs off the side of the bed. The first time he stood, he collapsed to the ground. After pulling himself up, he tried again, more slowly this time, and was successful. He stretched his legs and ventured to walking. He nearly fell again, but caught himself. There was a set of his own clean clothes beside his bed, which he pulled onto himself before leaving the room.

Merlin knew where he wanted to go, where he needed to go. He slowly made his way down the halls and stairways to the grassy courtyard beside the palace. While Gaius's death was becoming old news to everyone else, for Merlin, it had only happened yesterday. The pain burned a fresh hole in heart. He sat cross-legged a few feet before the dark mahogany cross and plaque, the ones marking that his friend, his mentor, his _father_, was laid there.

He didn't cry, not this time. Instead, he just sat quietly. His eyes locked onto the grave marker and he was just still. Gaius had been everything to him. Absolutely everything. And now, he was just gone, and everyone in Camelot was able to just move on with their lives as if he had never been there in the first place. Six months. So, that was how long it takes for a city to forget. Maybe less, he hadn't been there the entire time.

It was then that a small child of maybe six years, a girl, ran up to the grave. She held a single yellow carnation, placing it gently beside the cross. "Hello, Gaius." She said softly, in a gentle, sad sort of way. Merlin looked up at her, surprised.

"Do you think he can hear you?" He asked. She looked back at him, smiling and nodding.

"Yes." She was called by a young woman wearing a light blue dress. Merlin looked back to see her, and she smiled at him. She came closer.

"Hi." She said gently. "I haven't seen you here before." He nodded.

"Yeah, I've been away." He answered sadly. She studied him for a moment.

"You're him, aren't you?"

"What?"

"Gaius talked about a boy, told me I'd have loved to meet him. They said he was manservant to the prince, but that they both died. But, well, the prince is back, it wouldn't be too far-fetched for him to be as well." Merlin swallowed back his tears.

"Yep. That's me." She sat beside him, Emily plopping down next to Gaius's grave marker.

"Gaius saved my daughter Emily a couple of months before he passed. She fell ill with pneumonia, came very close to death. But he remained with me by her side, treated her, and she did get better. I can't thank anyone enough. We actually come from Cedric's kingdom, but every physician there said she was beyond saving. Someone mentioned a good doctor in Camelot, a kind, talented man with gifts for healing. So, I brought her to him, and sure enough, he was able to make her well. Now that he's gone, every day is just a little less bright."

"He was as good as a father to me, better even." She nodded, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry. My name is Rebecca. Emily here remembers Gaius very well. She won't rest if we don't come and bring him a flower every day." They sat in silence for a while, until Emily came to her other.

"I'm hungry, Mama."

"Of course, it's time for lunch." She looked to Merlin. "Would you like to come with us?" He shook his head.

"No, that's alright. Thank you, though. Not just for that, but for coming to see him. I haven't been around, and I was worried that everyone had forgotten him."

"No one can forget Gaius. Sure, maybe some people don't come see him every day like we do, but all it takes is one mention of something connected to a memory, and it comes back. Even if it's only for a moment, that's long enough to put a smile on someone's face." Emily tugged at her mother's sleeve.

"You've better go feed her." Merlin said with a smile.

"Right. Goodbye, Merlin. See you around." She stood and took her child by the hand, walking away.

"Rebecca." She turned to face him. "Thank you." He said, nodding at her.

"You're welcome."

Merlin sat on his own again, staring now at the yellow carnation, and imagined Gaius accepting it warm-heartedly for the little girl. "Gaius?" He said tentatively. "I don't-I don't know if you can hear this. I don't know where you are right now, but I hope it's somewhere good. I… I am so sorry. So, if you've been watching, I'm sure you know what's happened. I'm scared, Gaius. I'm really scared. You'd know what to do. I know you would." He buried his face in hands. "Please, just come back, Gaius."

Merlin felt a hand on his shoulder, then Arthur sat beside him. "You're king now, Arthur. You shouldn't sit on the ground." Merlin teased.

"Being king doesn't change anything, Merlin. I know that it's been a long time, and all these crazy things have happened, but believe me when I say that you are still my very best friend." Merlin nodded, biting his lip, and for a while, neither knew what to say.

"We almost lost you. Several times, actually. Your organs were all messed up. Man, you had an awful fever that stuck around and we couldn't get it to drop. After that, Gwen said the fever might have caused brain damage, and if that was the case, you might never wake up. That was only about a month after the dragon brought you back."

"I'm so sorry, Arthur."

"No, I'm sorry. I should've paid more attention. I could've pulled you away from the edge, I could've grabbed you."

"Don't blame yourself, don't do that. No one could have been able to do anything, not even you."

"Right, right." Merlin looked around a minute and sighed.

"Wow, everything is different around here." Arthur nodded.

"Yeah. I had wanted to wait to marry Gwen until you woke up, but we didn't know when that would be. So, I carried on with business. There is one thing though, that I waited to do. I didn't care how long it took, because I knew you would want to be there." Merlin looked at him questioningly.

"You are the most amazing person I've ever met, Merlin. You've taught me more about the world around me in a matter of months than I had learned in my entire life. I trust you with everything, perhaps even more than I trust Gwenivere. She knows about your magic now, I told her. Of course, she was upset at first, but I was able to easily convince her that it was okay. I have been very, very lenient on those with magic, as long as they have not harmed another person or their property. However, I have yet to officially lift the ban on magic. That one thing, I knew I needed to wait for. You needed to be awake."

"You're going to… allow magic in Camelot?"


	20. The Light of a New Era

**Author's Note: So, I've decided that I'm just going to finish posting this story. There are a few more chapters left, and since I've just finished writing it, I'd really just like to get the entire thing up. So prepare, for the end is nigh.**

"You've shown me that magic is something absolutely wonderful. I don't see any reason for it to be illegal. Unless you think it is a bad idea?" Merlin shook his head quickly.

"No, no, absolutely not! Not at all! I just, I'm so surprised." He could hardly contain himself now, and a wide grin was plastered on his face. His eyes welled with tears, but for the first time in a long time, they were happy tears. "This is, this is great!"

"But, there is one more thing, the main reason I wanted to wait."

"And what is that?"

"I would like to make the law change official by giving you the title of court sorcerer. If you will take the position, that is." Merlin's heart lifted. This was beyond anything he'd ever hoped for.

"Of course I will, yeah! Thank you, Arthur. Really, thank you so much."

"Perfect, that's perfect. So, if you'd be ready, I'd like to have the ceremony tomorrow."

"Yes, good, right. Wow. Thanks, Arthur."

"It's the very least I could do." They were quiet for a short time, then Merlin turned to Arthur again.

"The dragon, his name is Kilgarrah."

"How do you know that?"

"Do you honestly think you could've stopped a dragon on your own?" The realization dawned upon Arthur's face.

"It was you? But, he didn't seem like your enemy."

"He's not."

"He was your friend all along?"

"No, not all along. But I started speaking to him the day I arrived in Camelot. He's given me good advice that I haven't always chosen to follow. I didn't trust him, but we made a deal and I was forced to release him. I blame myself for everything that happened afterwards."

"You let it out?"

"I had no other choice, I'm sorry. But my father, Balinor, he was a dragonlord. The gift is passed on to their descendants in death."

"You're a-"

"A dragonlord, yes. Now, I'm going to go into the forest to speak with Kilgarrah. I want you to come with me."

"Are you sure he'll welcome me? What he becomes angry?"

"Trust me, if he wanted you dead, you would know it. He's helped me save you countless times, and now that you are living your destiny, I'm sure he'd be happy to speak with you. We should go now, before it's dark."

They went to the familiar place where Merlin had called the Great Dragon many a time for sage advice. "O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anakes!" Arthur was shocked as the words left Merlin's mouth, and it was not long before the wind from Kilgarrah's massive wings blew past them. He settled in front of them. Merlin smiled wide, approaching him.

"Kilgarrah."

"Good to see you are awake, young warlock."

"I can't thank you enough."

"We are kin." Merlin nodded.

"Yes, we are. And I could never have made it this far without you. I've done it, Kilgarrah. My destiny." He tilted his head.

"Is that so?"

"Tell him Arthur, tell him about what you're going to do." Merlin said, pulling him forward. Taking a deep breath to muster his courage, Arthur spoke.

"I am officially lifting the ban on magic tomorrow by crowning Merlin as my court sorcerer." Kilgarrah's lips curled into a sort of smile.

"You have done well, both of you. Just as I knew you would. Especially you, Merlin. But your job is not over. You are still the most powerful sorcerer in all of the world, and it still your responsibility to protect Camelot. But now, it will no longer be in hiding. Live out your true destiny, Emrys." Merlin tilted his head in respect to the Great Dragon, and he flew off.

"Emrys?" Arthur asked.

"It's what's the Druids call me in the prophecies."

"Prophecies?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty cool."

"I had no idea you were so special." Arthur teased.

Walking back to the palace, the boys talked. "So, does this mean I'm going to be royalty?" Merlin asked, smirking.

"You are going to be a member of the royal court."

"Wait, I'm not your manservant anymore?" Merlin said as he realized what all of this actually means.

"No, you don't have to do my laundry or polish my armor or even bring me breakfast. I'll even be generous and give you a manservant of your own."

"I can dress myself, I don't think I need-"

"Yes, yes, I'm perfectly aware that you are capable without one, but how will it look on me if the highest member of my court has not been given the privilege of his own servant?" Merlin was quiet for a moment.

"Highest member?" Arthur stopped in his tracks, turning to face Merlin.

"Of course. Merlin, you are my best friend, I've told you that. You have done things for me that I cannot comprehend, most that I don't even know about. Why would you think that you deserve anything but the best?"

"I just… wow. I didn't realize. I mean, you're everything to me, Arthur. The last years have been the best in my life, and it's because you were in them. I just didn't realize that I meant the same to you." Arthur smiled and placed a hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"Well, you do. And come tomorrow, you will be given the highest honor in all of the kingdom. You'll live out your destiny, or whatever it is, and you and I are going to be remembered for the rest of time."

Tomorrow came quickly. Merlin was dressed in robes made specifically for him. He wore a pair of black pants and a black shirt with a silver colored belt, then over that, he wore a deep blue velvet cloak that sat comfortably on his shoulders. He stood inside the palace, right in front of the closed balcony doors. Arthur and Gwen were standing there, just outside those doors. Arthur was addressing the people, telling them what was about to happen.

The doors opened, and Merlin stepped through them. At first, the crowd was unsure, and for a moment he feared they would reject him, but after a few moments they clapped and cheered for him. The five knights that Arthur had chosen to be in his highest level of military, Sir Leon, Sir Elyan, Sir Lancelot, Sir Gwaine, and Sir Percival, stood to the side in their ceremonial clothing. Merlin beamed with pride, but bowed to them to show his humility. On a red velvet pillow sat a pointed hat, one that matched his robe.

In the distance, Merlin saw Kilgarrah's shape approaching. "He came." Merlin said, eyes flicking in the direction of the dragon. People began to notice him, and they screamed.

"Everyone, stay calm. Look, he's not going to hurt you." Arthur said, hoping he was right. They didn't listen at first. The dragon landed a little bit past where the people stood, and then bowed his head low to the ground. Slowly, when they saw he was not making any move to destroy them, gradually began to stop screaming.

"Please, continue." The dragon said, nodding to them. The people were not at ease, and children held close to their parents, but they continued the ceremony.

Merlin kneeled before the king and queen. Arthur began his speech, one that he had actually written himself. "I am aware that the past twenty years have been recorded as 'years of peace,' but I am also aware that it is not true. There have been far too many executions for something that was more feared than it was dangerous. Magic. Everyone has their opinion of it. I grew up believing it was evil, and that all who practiced it must be condemned. As most of you probably know, I left Camelot some time ago with my manservant. It was during that time that I realized that those with magic are the same as anyone else. Magic is like a sword. You can wield it for good, or for evil. You can use it to kill a person, or break them free." Merlin smiled at the use of his own words.

"And so, people of Camelot," Arthur continued as he took hold of the hat in both hands, "today, I proclaim that not only is the use of magic permitted within the borders of my kingdom, it is welcomed. And with the declaration, I pronounce you, Lord Merlin Emrys, Court Sorcerer of Camelot." He placed the hat on Merlin's head, and it took all the warlock had to contain his pure joy. "Rise." He stood, and Arthur grabbed Merlin's wrist and lifted it up. The crowd cheered, and both of them smiled wide.

Merlin put his hands on the edge of the balcony and waited for the crowds cheers to die down. He held out a hand towards the dragon, who was smiling, satisfied. "This is Kilgarrah. He is not a beast, or a monster. He is a creature of magic and deserves to be respected. If you don't try to hurt him, he won't ever hurt you. He is an ally to Camelot, and he will protect us as much as he can, just as I vow to protect you." They all began to clap, and Kilgarrah began to speak.

"Indeed I will. Today, Camelot has secured it's destiny to become the greatest kingdom in all of the world. Thank you, King Arthur Pendragon. And thank you, Lord Merlin Emrys. I expect to see your success." The dragon lifted his wings and flew off.

Arthur and Merlin faced each other, gripped each other's forearms and gave each other a hug. Merlin bowed to the king, and the ceremony was officially over. Now, the festivities would begin.


	21. A Love Stronger Than Destiny

There was a commemorative feast afterwards. Merlin was given a seat at Arthur's right hand, Gwen on his left. For hours, they sat talking and laughing. Everyone was happy about Merlin finally waking up after being gone for so long, and they all wanted to talk to him.

Merlin was still weakened from his near-death experience. The dragon had said that he'd wake up when his body could sustain him, not when he'd completely recovered. When he started to feel a little bit dizzy, he leaned over and whispered to Arthur.

"I need a minute. I'll be right back."

"Are you alright?" The concern in his voice was evident.

"Yes, I just need some air. I'm fine." He smiled and nodded to the others, standing and leaving the room. He leaned against the wall just outside the door and closed his eyes. He opened them but a moment later and sighed. He thought for a moment about how nice the hat felt on his head. It was then that he saw a flash of green from the corner of his eye. He turned to look, but whatever it was had gone down the hallway.

Curiosity got the better of Merlin and he followed. When he'd turned down the same hallway, he saw a familiar face staring back at him. Wearing a bright green dress that complemented her eyes, Morgana looked different than she had the last time Merlin had seen her. When he had left Camelot, her eyes had been beginning to fill with a darkness that he had been growing wary of. Kilgarrah had told him she could not bring anything but bad upon them. But now, her eyes shone with the pure, untainted gentleness that she had when he had seen her the first time.

"Merlin."

"Morgana."

"You have magic."

"So do you."

"Why didn't you say anything to me? You knew I had it." Morgana couldn't hide the hurt and confusion in her face.

"I wanted to, I did. But the Great Dragon forbade it. He said it was too dangerous, that it could interfere with my destiny. It hurt me so much, not being able to tell you."

"Things could have been different for us."

"They still can be."

"I've done terrible things, Merlin. Thought and planned even worse things." Merlin placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I know. And I don't care. Not one bit." She bit her lip and tried to keep the tears that were welling in her eyes from spilling over. "You don't have to be on your own anymore, Morgana. Anything you've done, we can fix it. You don't have to be that person. We can fight your destiny, and we can win. And you won't ever have to be on your own ever again. Because things are finally going to be okay now, Morgana. While Arthur and I were gone, I taught him, showed him how wonderful magic is. He isn't Uther, he won't kill you or shun you for it. You can tell him." She looked at him uncertainly, tear tracks shining in the moonlight from the window beside them. He cupped her cheek. "No more hiding."

She nodded, even more tears surfacing. "No more hiding." She repeated. He leaned forward, bringing his face close to hers as she went the extra distance and closed the last bit of space between their lips.

Music could be heard from the dining hall. After several moments of their passionate kiss, Merlin pulled away gently, taking one of her hands in his hand placing the other on her hip and closing the space between their bodies. She put hers on his shoulder, and they began waltzing in the wide hallway, the only light being that from the moon.

They hadn't been aware that Arthur had gone looking for Merlin, and had been watching from shortly after they'd gone in for the kiss. Arthur gasped, tongue-in-cheek. Of all the things he'd expected to find, the things he'd feared to find, when he realized Merlin had been gone too long, this hadn't even been in his spectrum of possibilities. Of course, a long time ago, he'd wondered if Merlin had any feelings for her, but he'd simply brushed it off as nothing more than a puppy crush. After all, Morgana was a beautiful woman. But now, seeing them dancing together, he knew it had to be more than that. And she felt the same way, it seemed.

Merlin was a noble now as well, so no one could look down on a courtship between the two. And Arthur had to admit, they looked well together. He hid behind the wall again as they came close, but he really didn't need to. They were blind to anything but each other.

"I love you, Morgana." Merlin whispered. Morgana slowed and finally stopped dancing, looking up at him.

"I love you too, Merlin." Finally, she wrapped her arms around his waist to embrace him, and he placed his arms protectively over her to return it.

It was then Arthur knew for sure that they could be together. Trusting Merlin enough to leave them alone, and excited to tell Gwen what he had seen, he tiptoed back to dining hall as the couple began dancing once more.


	22. One Page at A Time

"It's time, Merlin." Arthur said, entering his friend's room. Merlin nodded, sighing nervously.

"Right." Merlin was standing in front of a full-body mirror, thinking about how much he had changed. His eyes were still bright, but he looked like he did when he'd taken the aging potion. His beard came down long, and he wore his customary hat and robe. It had been over fifty years since he'd been pronounced Court Sorcerer, and they'd overcome trial after trial. They'd gone on adventures that others could only dream of, and all the while, they'd stayed loyal to each other.

"I'll get Morgana for you, I think she fell asleep in the study."

"Thank you." They had so much they all still needed to say, but no one could come up with the words. They'd dined together the night before, discussing what they could. But how could they ever have enough time to explain all of their emotions at the end of a lifetime? It was a solemn occasion, but they knew that they couldn't put it off any longer.

Queen Gwenivere was dying. Kilgarrah had left them with strict instructions when he passed, that none of the four royals could outlive another. When the time came, they all needed to go to the lake of Avalon, and submerge themselves. He promised that they would be okay, but that if the warning was ignored, they would suffer greatly at the hands of the Fates. He said that they would be taken care of, and none would feel the pain of death or loss.

Gwen's illness had creeped on slowly, and caught all of them unaware by the time it had a firm hold on her. Rebecca's daughter Emily, a physician trained by Gwen herself, had made a diagnosis quickly, and it wasn't good. The Queen spent quite a few days profusely apologizing after that, but everyone assured her that all would be fine. All of them hoped for some sort of miracle, dragging out the days searching for some sort of cure, denying the inevitable.

Rebecca had told them the day before the Gwen didn't have more than 48 hours left before her heart wouldn't have the strength to beat anymore. They all knew what had to be done, and began to plan. Arthur made arrangements to make sure the kingdom was well taken care of. Gwen and Arthur had been unable to have a child, and though Gwen had always blamed herself, Arthur believed it was actually his bloodline that could not conceive. So, Leon's son Gregory would take the throne, and his descendants would rule Camelot after that. A new dynasty would begin, and Arthur trusted that they would be able to keep Camelot the most powerful and successful kingdom in all of the world.

In complete honesty, Arthur was ready to go. He was old, and he'd been taking care of the kingdom far too long. The responsibility would finally be lifted from him. He was thankful for the dragon's instructions, because he would not be expected to go on without Gwenivere.

A few minutes later, Morgana walked up to Merlin, rubbing his tense shoulders. "It's going to be okay." She assured him, despite being absolutely terrified herself. He turned to her, taking her hands in his and looking at her face, the many lines that gently graced her features, and the streaks of gray hair coming from her roots. She was still just as beautiful to him, if not more so. They'd spent the last 50 years together protecting Camelot from magical and non-magical threats, one of those being Morgause. Morgana had told Arthur about her magic the night of Merlin's party, and it had taken the king completely by surprise. However, he made it very clear that she was safe, and showed his excitement openly.

Merlin and Morgana began officially courting, and within the next two years they were wed. They did have a couple of children, a son and daughter named Balinus and Gaieta, who also had children. They had grown up in the castle with four parents, as the king and queen treated them like their own. However, they had left the palace to live in the countryside when they had become of age. Both were flourishing well, and did not want the responsibility of an entire kingdom, let alone the kingdom of Camelot, so they politely refused when Arthur offered them the position.

"Gwen is ready." Arthur said, entering the room.

"Alright. Let's go then." They each grabbed their letters and placed them in a large envelope. They contained not only contained their wills, but last words and stories and even some of Morgana's beautiful sketches, and anything else that needed to be remembered. The people who would find the papers would have to make whatever they would of them, but hopefully they would get it right.

Gwen couldn't walk, so her maidservant had dressed her in her best clothing, a pearl-colored long dress decorated with clear beads, and Arthur gently lifted her in a bridal carry. He could feel how light she'd become, and see how her dress practically hung off of her, and he felt unbearably guilty for letting her suffer this long. "I'm so sorry, Arthur." She whimpered, leaning into his chest.

"Shhhh. Everything is going to be just fine."

He carried her to the top of the first flight of stairs, where Merlin and Morgana were waiting. They walked down and out the palace doors, and into the forest. No one spoke, but they exchanged meaningful glances with each other all the way down to the lake.

Now was the time for goodbyes. It was obvious that Gwen was struggling to hold onto what life she had left. In the distance, the evening sun was already a crescent over the horizon. "Thank all of you so much." Arthur began.

"Thank you, for everything. We've had fun, haven't we?" Merlin said, and they all nodded in agreement. "Well then, this doesn't have to be goodbye, just, see you soon. We'll be together again before we even know we were apart." Morgana nodded nervously, holding Merlin's hand with both of hers. Their biggest fear was walking into the lake and not being 'taken' like Kilgarrah had said. Drowning is not a pleasant way to die.

"I love you, Gwen." Arthur muttered in her ear. She blinked tiredly and gripped the front of his shirt.

"I love you too."

Merlin took Morgana's hand. "You've all been absolutely wonderful. I love you, Morgana."

"I love you too." They all just stood there at the edge of the water for a while, when Gwen gripped Arthur's shirt tighter, warning him that there wasn't much time.

"We have to go now." Morgana said, brushing a strand of gray hair out of the Queen's face. The rest agreed and they began to wade into the lake. Merlin and Morgana gripped each other's hands tight, and Arthur kissed Gwen's forehead. The Once and Future King and Queen and the most powerful sorcerer and sorceress to ever walk the earth finally let it all go. The water rose to their waists, then their shoulders, and finally past their heads.

For a few terrifying seconds they feared it wouldn't do anything, but then in a flash of brilliant white light they were welcomed into Avalon. Freya stood there, welcoming them as the Lady of the Lake. Balinor stood beside her, as did Will. Then, walking up was Gaius, whom Merlin wrapped his arms tightly around. "It's okay everyone. You're home." Freya said in a comforting tone. An infant was bundled in Will's arms, and Gwen knew who she was immediately.

"Ella." She whispered, and Will handed the girl over, and for the first time Gwen was able to dote over her own child. Ella was still-born, a memory that had haunted all of them. Arthur and Merlin had waited outside the door of Gwen's room while Morgana, Rebecca, and a serving girl all helped her inside. Arthur was beyond anxious, because that was the day he was going to be a father. And in a heart-breaking moment, the noisy delivery room had fallen silent. There was no first cry of a baby, or shouts of joy. Just a silence that had torn Arthur apart. Merlin remembered how Arthur's face had fallen, and that last shred of hope being torn from them as the thick silence was pierced with the sound of Gwen's tormented wails. Merlin remembered how Arthur had burst in, seeing something that no expectant father should have to see. His own child lay wrapped in a sheet, looking like she might have been a sad little cherub statue on a fountain in the town square. Arthur had been sick for weeks after that, throwing up from grief whenever he thought about his poor daughter's angelic face, never having the opportunity to bear life.

Now, Arthur cried. His tears flowed down his cheeks freely as he kissed his baby girl on the head. They all looked at each other, and realized they bared the appearance of themselves 50 years prior. The happiness was unimaginable, because despite everything that was destined to go wrong, they'd survived, and now, they were finally free.

BBC MERLIN BBC MERLIN BBC MERLIN BBC MERLIN BBC MERLIN BBC MERLIN BBC MERLIN

So, that's how the story goes. The legends were told for hundreds of years to come, because no one could ever quite forget them. Sure, maybe the story was twisted a few times in the process, but who can honestly expect history that old, not to mention that unbelievable, to be completely accurate as it gets passed down?

Nowadays, the stories are considered nothing more than myth. In a world of technology, magic is no longer needed. But sometimes, there is a part of us that longs for the times of old, when life was more of an adventure and you had to be a part of the world you lived in. And when that happens, we are capable of so much more than what is expected of us.

Whether or not you believe the stories is up to you. After all, they are just stories. Just lines scribbled in different orders on a page that your brain comprehends as sounds. Those sounds come together in your brain to form words, just a longer series of sounds that mean something. And all of these separate words transform into complete thoughts and ideas, creating entire universes in your head, vivid pictures of a world that you have just been whisked into.

It doesn't matter if they existed or not, because existing doesn't make a person real. A person can impact someone's life and change them for the better without existing. When a character sets off on a journey, they pull you along with them and make your life something wonderful, even if only for a short time.

Think about it this way: Merlin and his friends didn't have to live in the real world to have an impact on our society. How much more of a difference can you make? You exist. You can change things. Life is a page; you have to make the most of it. Not everyone will use the page in the same way. You might want to use it to write a story, maybe a single word. You might want to draw, or paint. Maybe you're the type of person who will take the page and make an origami swan. Don't be the person who tiptoes around the page and leaves it blank, scared of failing so never bothering to try. Who cares if you can't draw the other eye exactly to match the first one? Perfect symmetry is boring anyway. Let's tell our own stories and leave our legacy with the world,

one page at a time.

**Author's Note: It's been a wonderful adventure, my friends. I cannot express how much I appreciate every one of you that makes it this far. This story really did become a part of me, and now that it's ended, I have to say I feel a little bit sad and nostalgic. Please, if you have the time, I'd love it if you could just leave a review with your input! I love to hear from my readers! Thanks so much for coming on this trip with me, so I'll leave you with this: This is your life. Your story. Go out and write it.**


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